Tom Cruise Challenges Director on Plane Wing for Stunt Proof

Legendary actor Tom Cruise has truly redefined the "impossible" in the Mission: Impossible franchise, especially with the eighth installment, Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning. In a remarkable twist, Cruise disclosed that director Christopher McQuarrie challenged him with stunts that defied possibility. To emphasize the difficulty, Cruise amusingly subjected McQuarrie to the stunt himself.

During a recent press conference in Tokyo, Cruise recounted the challenge, "And then we talked about the story and [McQuarrie] was like, 'Okay, I want you to go from here to here in a couple of seconds.' I was like, 'I can't do that.' He's like, 'Okay, well, I want you to do this and this.' I was like, 'I really can't do that.'" McQuarrie, reflecting on the stunt, noted, "It was the simplest thing. Anything you'd describe, [he'd] say, 'No, you actually can't do that.' And I don't hear 'can't' from him."

Cruise, known for his death-defying stunts throughout the Mission: Impossible series, explained the physics behind the challenge: "I said, 'Just in terms of the speed, because the force of the air, for me to move quickly on the wing was… You just can't do it,'" highlighting how a "20-minute tutorial" helped McQuarrie understand the limitations. "You're limited by the physics of how fast the aircraft is traveling and the force of the wind, that was utterly brutal. So I just said, 'Listen, I think the best thing is if you just do it. Go out, sit in the airplane, go out on the wing, and feel it. Feel the pressure. So, here I am, training him.'" McQuarrie, after experiencing it firsthand, found it exhilarating, stating, "It was great, actually. Yeah, it was a lot of fun. I would definitely do it again." Cruise also mentioned years of preparation for the stunt and the importance of selecting the right aircraft.

Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning is set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival from May 13 to May 24, 2025, and will be released in theaters worldwide on May 23, 2025.