At a recent premiere in Tokyo—his 25th visit to Japan—Cruise was joined by cast members Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Pom Klementieff, and director McQuarrie
As Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning gears up for its global release on May 17, 2025, Hollywood icon Tom Cruise has opened up about the extreme demands of the franchise, his intense preparation rituals, and the emotional journey of bidding farewell to his most iconic role—Ethan Hunt.
In a candid interview with People magazine, Cruise shared his unconventional secret to performing gravity-defying stunts: a “massive breakfast.” Known for doing his own stunts, the Oscar-nominated actor revealed the immense physical toll these sequences take on his body. “I actually eat a massive breakfast,” Cruise said, referencing his intense training for aerial stunts like wing-walking. “I’ll eat sausage, almost a dozen eggs, bacon, toast, coffee, and fluids. It’s cold up there, and we’re at high altitude—my body is burning a lot.”
Cruise has performed several high-risk stunts throughout the Mission: Impossible franchise, including hanging off a military plane during the opening of Rogue Nation and scaling the Burj Khalifa in Ghost Protocol. In The Final Reckoning, the eighth and final installment, the stakes are higher than ever—both narratively and physically.
The upcoming film features one of the most technically complex scenes Cruise has tackled yet—a 360-degree spinning submarine tank, described as akin to being inside a “washing machine.” The actor inhaled his own carbon dioxide during the scene but relied on his flight training, dating back to 1994, to manage the physiological stress. “You train for hypoxia and CO2 build-up,” he said. “You start to perceive how your body is reacting, and I knew when to stop.”
Despite broken bones and numerous injuries over the years, Cruise insists he wouldn’t change a thing. “There is never an easy day on Mission: Impossible. I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said in a conversation reflecting on the franchise’s evolution. “This new movie is a culmination of everything me and McQ [Christopher McQuarrie] have learned in storytelling over the years. It’s very elegant, very layered, and incredibly epic.”
McQuarrie, who has directed the last four Mission: Impossible films, compared Cruise’s approach to the golden age of cinema, noting that the star constantly draws inspiration from legends like Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, and Douglas Fairbanks. “These are the cinematic ghosts we’re always chasing,” said McQuarrie. “Tom is looking to make films that are action, but also drama, comedy, and tragedy. That’s what built modern cinema.”
At a recent premiere in Tokyo—his 25th visit to Japan—Cruise was joined by cast members Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Pom Klementieff, and director McQuarrie. The team received a standing ovation from the audience. “What an honor to begin our global tour in Tokyo,” Cruise told the crowd. “This film is a true culmination of this franchise, and the love shown by audiences tonight was felt by all.”
The film promises to be Ethan Hunt’s most personal mission yet, one that threatens not only international security but his very identity. As betrayals mount and time runs out, Hunt is pushed to the brink of his physical and emotional limits. “It’s just the beginning of the end,” Cruise teased, hinting at a dramatic twist that redefines the series’ legacy.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning will release across Indian cinemas on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu formats, with special screenings in 4Dx and IMAX.
For Cruise, the franchise is more than a role—it’s a way of life. “I love making movies. It’s not what I do. It’s who I am,” he said, summing up three decades of relentless dedication to one of cinema’s most ambitious action sagas.
