OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
Tom Cruise has long been the face of extreme action and dedication, but his latest stunt might just take the cake for sheer madness. In a recent interview with Empire Magazine, ahead of the release of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Cruise shared an intensely dangerous underwater stunt that might make even the most fearless fans wince.
Tom Cruise, a man whose commitment to action is as legendary as the stunts he pulls off, has done it once again. This time, he’s pushing the limits underwater, in a scene that involved navigating the wreckage of a sunken ship. But here’s the catch: Cruise doesn’t have the luxury of just “holding his breath” and taking a few dives. In order to capture the chaotic realism needed for the film, he’s forced to breathe in his own exhaled carbon dioxide. Yes, you read that correctly.
Cruise explained, “I’m breathing in my own carbon dioxide. It builds up in the body and affects the muscles. You have to overcome all of that while you’re doing it, and be present.” The result? A physically intense experience that not only tests his endurance but also his mental fortitude. With the special suit that Cruise is wearing, he can only last a mere ten minutes before risking his life. The dangers of the stunt are far more real than many would expect, but that doesn’t seem to faze Cruise, who’s been a symbol of commitment to the craft for years.
The man known for his death-defying action sequences doesn’t stop there. He reveals that the underwater stunt was just one part of a broader trend of physically taxing and downright dangerous stunts he’s been putting himself through for Mission: Impossible. Director Christopher McQuarrie explained just how complex this particular stunt is: “He’s in a rotating structure filled with debris, and you had to find a way to make that environment look as chaotic and unhinged as humanly possible.” But it’s not just about the spectacle; the stunt has to be repeatable, and Tom has to survive it. The combination of danger and art is what makes this scene so memorable, and it’s a true testament to Tom’s dedication.
In fact, Cruise has admitted that the physical demands of some of his stunts are so extreme that they’ve pushed him to the brink of passing out. For instance, in another mind-boggling stunt involving airplanes, Cruise would often find himself knocked out due to the lack of oxygen at high speeds. “When you stick your face out of an airplane, going over 120 to 130 miles an hour, you’re not getting oxygen,” he revealed. “So I had to train myself how to breathe. There were times I would pass out physically; I was unable to get back into the cockpit.”
The risks are immense, but Tom Cruise doesn’t just “do” stunts—he lives for them. For Cruise, it’s all about pushing the boundaries and making every moment as real as possible. Whether he’s breathing in his own CO2 or fighting gravity at 130 miles an hour, it’s clear that no challenge is too extreme. He’s built a legacy not only as an actor but as a living, breathing daredevil, continuously proving that when it comes to commitment to his craft, he truly has no limits.
So, as fans, we can’t help but admire this wild commitment, though we can’t help but wonder—at what cost? Nonetheless, we’ll continue to root for Tom as he pushes the envelope in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, hoping that somehow, he survives yet another death-defying stunt!