Tom Cruise, the 62-year-old Hollywood icon renowned for his death-defying stunts in the Mission: Impossible franchise, has once again pushed his physical limits in the latest installment, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, set for release on May 23, 2025. Known for performing his own stunts, Cruise’s dedication to authenticity has made the series a gold standard for action filmmaking. However, recent revelations from the set highlight the immense toll these feats have taken on the actor, leaving him visibly exhausted during the filming of some of the most intense action scenes in the franchise’s history. From hanging off biplanes to executing underwater sequences, Cruise’s commitment to delivering visceral thrills for audiences has come at a significant personal cost, sparking discussions about the physical demands of action filmmaking and the lengths to which Cruise will go for his craft.

The Mission: Impossible series, which began in 1996, has long been defined by Cruise’s portrayal of IMF agent Ethan Hunt, a character who embodies relentless determination and heroism. Over the years, Cruise has escalated the franchise’s stunt work, performing feats that have become the stuff of legend: climbing the Burj Khalifa in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011), holding his breath for six minutes underwater in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015), and executing a motorcycle jump off a cliff in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023). Each film has raised the bar, with Cruise training rigorously to ensure the stunts are captured as authentically as possible, often without the use of CGI or stunt doubles. This commitment has earned him widespread admiration but also raised concerns about the sustainability of such intense physical demands, especially as he ages.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, the eighth film in the franchise and a direct sequel to Dead Reckoning Part One, marks what may be Cruise’s final outing as Ethan Hunt. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the film continues the battle against The Entity, a rogue AI threatening global security. The movie features a star-studded cast, including Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Angela Bassett, and promises some of the most ambitious action sequences yet. Among these is a biplane stunt where Cruise, as Hunt, hangs off the wing at 8,000 feet with 140 mph winds, a feat described as one of the most dangerous in his career. Another highlight is an underwater sequence aboard the submerged wreck of the Sevastopol, a Russian submarine, where Hunt must retrieve a glowing orb housing The Entity’s core before it can be used against humanity.

Filming these scenes has been an exhaustive endeavor for Cruise. In an interview with People magazine, published on May 2, 2025, Cruise detailed the physical preparation required for the biplane stunt, revealing the sheer energy it demanded. “The amount of energy it takes—I train so hard for that wing-walking. I’ll eat, like, sausage and almost a dozen eggs and bacon and toast and coffee and fluids. Oh, I’m eating! Picture: It’s cold up there. We’re at high altitude. My body is burning a lot,” he explained. The stunt, filmed over South Africa’s Drakensberg mountain range, required Cruise to crawl along the wings of a 1940s biplane while it flew at speeds exceeding 120 mph. Behind-the-scenes footage shared on Instagram by Cruise on April 23, 2025, showed the grueling conditions, with the actor visibly straining against the wind and cold, his face etched with determination but also fatigue.

The underwater sequence proved equally taxing. Cruise revealed he had been preparing for such a scene for over 40 years, emphasizing the complexity of filming in a deepwater tank to capture the authenticity of the Sevastopol wreck. “My body is burning a lot,” he reiterated, highlighting the physical exhaustion that comes with holding his breath and performing under such extreme conditions. To achieve an unobstructed shot of his face, Cruise even breathed his own carbon dioxide, a technique that added to the physical strain. The scope of the sequence, described by McQuarrie as “an underwater sequence unlike any other,” required multiple takes, leaving Cruise drained after each dive.

Simon Pegg, who plays Benji Dunn and has witnessed Cruise’s stunt work across multiple Mission: Impossible films, shared insights into the actor’s exhaustion during an interview with CBR on May 7, 2025. Recalling the biplane stunt, Pegg noted, “That was the first time I’d seen him nervous,” a rare admission for Cruise, who is known for his meticulous preparation and confidence. Pegg described the variables involved—high altitude, extreme cold, and the risk of mechanical failure—as overwhelming even for someone as seasoned as Cruise. “There were a lot of things that could have gone wrong,” Pegg added, underscoring the toll it took on Cruise, who appeared visibly fatigued after each take. Pegg also highlighted the Arctic conditions faced during filming in Svalbard, Norway, where the cast and crew battled extreme weather to capture scenes of Hunt in icy terrain, further compounding Cruise’s exhaustion.

The physical demands of these stunts are compounded by Cruise’s relentless work ethic. In a rare interview with People on May 2, 2025, he revealed how he unwinds between takes, playing the piano and dancing to manage the stress of such high-stakes filming. “I train in many things—singing, dancing, motorcycles, cars—and also my personal life. I like skydiving and speed-flying and all these things,” he said, illustrating his multifaceted approach to maintaining peak performance. However, even these hobbies can’t fully mitigate the exhaustion of filming scenes that require him to sprint across Westminster Bridge in London, jump off an aircraft carrier into the ocean, or perform in subzero temperatures, as seen in behind-the-scenes footage from Svalbard shared on April 23, 2025.

Cruise’s exhaustion hasn’t gone unnoticed by fans and industry observers. Posts on X have highlighted the physical toll of his stunt work, with users noting past incidents like breaking his ankle during a rooftop jump in Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) and passing out while dangling off a plane in Rogue Nation. These anecdotes, while showcasing his dedication, also raise questions about the long-term impact on his health. At 62, Cruise remains a master of intense stunt work, but the physical strain is evident. McQuarrie, in a statement to CBR on April 29, 2025, described the biplane stunt as “the most extreme practical action ever filmed,” a testament to Cruise’s commitment but also a reminder of the grueling effort involved.

The stakes for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning are high, especially after Dead Reckoning Part One underperformed at the box office in 2023, grossing $567 million against a $291 million budget—a disappointment compared to Fallout’s $791 million. Early tracking suggests The Final Reckoning could open to $80 million or more, a franchise-best start, according to The Hollywood Reporter on May 2, 2025. To ensure its success, Cruise has broken from tradition by making himself more available for promotional appearances, a move noted by MovieWeb on May 3, 2025, as a strategic effort to generate buzz. This shift, coupled with the film’s IMAX and ScreenX formats, which enhance its panoramic action sequences, underscores the pressure on Cruise to deliver a blockbuster that justifies the physical and financial investment.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning may mark the end of Cruise’s journey as Ethan Hunt, a character he has portrayed since 1996. The film’s trailers have teased a fittingly epic conclusion, with scenes of Hunt sprinting, diving, and defying gravity in ways that have become synonymous with the franchise. Yet, behind the spectacle lies a story of a man pushing himself to the brink of exhaustion for the sake of his craft. Cruise’s ethos, as he told People, is clear: “On Mission, if it was easy, I guess we wouldn’t want to do it.” But as he continues to risk life and limb, the question remains—how much longer can he sustain this level of intensity? For now, fans can only marvel at his dedication, knowing that every moment of exhaustion on set translates into a thrilling experience on screen, cementing his legacy as one of Hollywood’s most fearless action stars.