Tom Cruise Proves Stunt Point by Sending Director onto Plane Wing

Legendary actor Tom Cruise has once again pushed the boundaries of what's considered "impossible" in the latest installment of the Mission: Impossible series, aptly titled Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning. Known for his daring stunts, Cruise faced a unique challenge when director Christopher McQuarrie proposed a stunt that even he found unachievable. To drive home the difficulty, Cruise humorously turned the tables and had McQuarrie attempt the stunt himself.

During a recent press conference in Tokyo, Cruise shared insights into the stunt discussions with McQuarrie. "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,'" Cruise recounted. "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 chimed in, describing the stunt as seemingly simple but ultimately impossible. "Anything you'd describe, [he'd] say, 'No, you actually can't do that.' And I don't hear 'can't' from him," he noted.

Cruise, who has performed numerous death-defying stunts throughout the Mission: Impossible series, emphasized the physical limitations he encountered. "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,'" he explained. A 20-minute tutorial helped McQuarrie understand the challenge. "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,'" Cruise added.

To his surprise, McQuarrie enjoyed the experience. "It was great, actually," he said. "Yeah, it was a lot of fun. I would definitely do it again." Cruise also revealed that he had been preparing for this stunt for years, highlighting the importance of selecting the right aircraft to execute the feat successfully.

Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning is set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival from May 13 to May 24, 2025, before thrilling audiences worldwide in theaters starting May 23, 2025.