“You’re not getting oxygen”: When Tom Cruise passed out while filming stunts for Mission: Impossible

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is one of the most anticipated releases of 2025. The spy thriller continues Tom Cruise's action-packed saga as the secret agent Ethan Hunt. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the film is scheduled to release on May 23, 2025, by Paramount Pictures.

Recently, Cruise spoke to Empire about the time when he blacked out during the shooting of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. He attributed the incident to lack of oxygen. It happened because the actor is known for performing his own stunts in films, including the most dangerous ones.

Tom Cruise passed out while shooting Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

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Tom Cruise recently gave an interview to Empire magazine where he spoke about his shooting experience for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. He recalled passing out many times while filming a particular scene. Cruise was discussing a scene that is shown in the trailer, where Ethan Hunt is hanging from an old Boeing airplane. It was shot in Africa around 10,000 feet above the ground. The actor said:

“When you stick your face out, going over 120 to 130 miles an hour, you’re not getting oxygen," he explained. "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.”

McQuarrie has stated that certain stunts in the film have the ability to melt the viewer's brain. Over the years, Cruise has garnered a reputation for the daredevil stunts he performs on his own, which sometimes also injures him.

More about Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning comes as a direct sequel to the 2023 film Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. It is directed by Christopher McQuarrie, who has also written the script with Erik Jendresen.

The film will be the eighth and reportedly final installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise. Produced by Cruise and McQuarrie, the film is made on a budget of $400 million, making it one of the costliest films ever made. It is slated to release on May 23, 2025.

Speaking to The Independent, Cruise spoke about the possibility of The Final Reckoning being the last film in the franchise.