5 most intense stunts in the Mission: Impossible series ahead of The Final Reckoning

After his first 3 entries starring as Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible series, Tom Cruise teamed up with screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie to identify a unique selling point for the franchise. Ultimately, they realized that the defining characteristic of their films should be the complexity of the set pieces and stunts involved, given that Cruise has always been prepared to perform the daunting stunt work himself.

His ability to push both his mental and physical limitations has not been lost on audiences over the years, who are drawn to his level of commitment to his roles, with Hunt being the most glaring example.

Audiences are currently preparing themselves for the series’ eighth and final installment, Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning. Set for a theatrical release on May 23, the series-culminating blockbuster hopes to deliver as the strongest entry of all and Cruise and McQuarrie’s true magnum opus.

Mission: Impossible –The Final Reckoning - Everything We Know

The upcoming Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning is a direct sequel to the franchise’s previous entry. It will be directed by the architect of the franchise’s new look, Christopher McQuarrie, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Erik Jendresen. According to the film’s official site, the synopsis is as follows,

“Our lives are the sum of our choices. Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.”

Clearly there is a concerted effort to keep the main story beats under wraps, and while not much else is known about concrete plot details as of now, we do know that many of the films’ most memorable characters will be making an appearance in the series’ curtain call. Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Ving Rhames, Pom Klementieff, Angela Bassett, and Henry Czerny will all be returning for the series-ender, which will also welcome franchise newcomers Hannah Waddingham and Trammel Tillman to the ensemble cast.

In preparation for The Final Reckoning, it only seems fitting to take a true retrospective on the modern version of the franchise and highlight the best stunts the franchise has given to audiences since its soft reboot with Ghost Protocol in 2011.

5 most intense stunts in the Mission: Impossible series

Burj Khalifa Climb - Ghost Protocol (2011)

This particular sequence took Cruise’s Ethan Hunt to Dubai in search of nuclear launch codes. His task would be to traverse the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, from the outside, after which he would have to rappel down and make the ultimate leap of faith. ScreenRant reports that the actor needed to wear a harness that was meticulously fastened to key locations around the structure, demanding special licenses for the studio to drill on the walls and floors. Brad Bird, the director of The Incredibles, sought advice from a number of experts to guarantee the shoot's safety and even considered hiring a professional stuntman.

Clearly, this death-defying stunt required the utmost planning and focus to execute in a way that it would have the most impact on film. The entire team, with Cruise at its center, clearly delivered the goods, as this film became the jump-off point for everything that would follow in the series.

Hanging off a plane mid-takeoff - Rogue Nation (2015)

In 2015’s Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, the film’s opening sequence would involve Cruise’s character attempting to enter a cargo plane as it was in the process of taking off. The jaw-dropping set piece would require Cruise to hang off the side of an actual plane as it reached speeds of up to a reported 140mph on a runway and continue to hold on as the aircraft became airborne.

According to Visual Effects Supervisor David Vickery, Cruise executed eight takes before being happy with the final result, demonstrating his dedication to the role and delivering a product that audiences could truly marvel at. As always, the stunt required months of planning and a true team effort to see through to the finish line and remains as one of the most discussed sequences in the franchise’s history.

Underwater Sequence - Rogue Nation (2015)

Cruise looked to take it a step further when filming an underwater sequence in Rogue Nation’s final act. During the heist scene, Ethan Hunt has to access a secure vault in order to swap out some personnel data; the only problem is that the vault is underwater. The entire sequence was captured in a single take, with Cruise holding his breath for over six minutes, an almost unimaginable feat and a testament to his physical and mental preparations.

He worked in tandem with free diving specialist Kirk Crack to harness his skills and credits his love for running for his ability to power through the tougher parts of his training. The execution of this sequence is a true feather in the cap for Cruise, McQuarrie, and the franchise as a whole.

HALO Jump - Fallout (2018)

In the follow-up film to Rogue Nation, Cruise continued to push the boundaries of what an actor could do on film. In Fallout, the fearless actor performed a HALO jump, making him the first actor ever to do so on the big screen. The scene involved exiting a plane at 25,000 feet and opening the parachute at a much lower altitude, below 2,000 feet.

Cruise famously dedicated a year of his life to training for the jump, including practicing in a wind tunnel and learning canopy control. A camera operator also jumped with Cruise to capture the scene. and Cruise performed a total of 106 jumps to capture the entire sequence as planned.

Motorcycle Cliff Jump - Dead Reckoning (2023)

At the time of its inception, this sequence from Dead Reckoning was hailed as the franchise’s most dangerous yet by most of the consultants and crew involved. The harrowing scene involved the ever ready Cruise driving a motorbike off a cliff, flying off the bike, and subsequently parachuting safely to the ground. The entire team took a total of 500 hours to nail the stunt, including extensive skydiving training and 13,000 motorbike jumps to truly capture the essence of the set piece.

Despite the moment being teased in promotional materials before the film’s ultimate release, the impact of what was executed was not lost on audiences, who were in disbelief when they finally got to experience it in cinemas.

With The Final Reckoning mere months away, anticipation for the film is reaching a fever pitch. Eager fans and moviegoers can't wait to see how the team decides to top their existing set pieces from the franchise in an attempt to go out with a bang and make the final installment truly unforgettable.