MOVIE NEWS – Tom Cruise seems to be living in his own Final Destination movie, constantly defying death with his insane stunts. His latest feat? Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, in which the megastar takes on an underwater sequence that director Christopher McQuarrie calls “absolutely terrifying.”

Ahead of the May 23, 2025 release of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, McQuarrie spoke with Empire about this unique scene. It was filmed in an 8.5-million-liter water tank and sees Cruise diving into the wreckage of the Sevastopol submarine from the previous film. The crew designed the entire set to be rotatable, and according to the director, this sequence posed an extreme challenge for Cruise, who had to endure serious physical strain.

“He’s inside a rotating structure filled with debris, and we had to make that environment as chaotic and unpredictable as possible, while still allowing Tom to navigate it safely and repeatedly. If anyone can do it, it’s Tom Cruise. Mission accomplished.”

For nearly three decades, Tom Cruise has been pushing the limits of gravity as Ethan Hunt in the legendary Mission: Impossible franchise.

In The Final Reckoning, Cruise reprises his role as IMF agent Ethan Hunt, though it remains unconfirmed whether this will be the final installment in the franchise. This means there’s still a chance he might return in the future. This time, he is joined by newcomers Nick Offerman and Katy O’Brian, while familiar faces such as Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Vanessa Kirby return.

Tom Cruise Had to Breathe His Own Carbon Dioxide

As if being thrown around underwater in a rotating chamber full of debris wasn’t enough, Cruise had to overcome another major hurdle while filming The Final Reckoning: inhaling his own carbon dioxide. Too much CO₂ intake can cause a range of problems, including dizziness, headaches, and confusion—not exactly ideal conditions for shooting a complex underwater scene.

“I was breathing in my own carbon dioxide. It builds up in the body and affects the muscles. You have to push through all that while staying completely focused.”

Of course, Cruise once again made it through unscathed, adding yet another insane stunt to his long list of daredevil feats. In the past, he has clung to the side of a moving airplane, ridden a motorcycle off a cliff into a parachute drop, jumped off the roof of the Stade de France, and scaled the world’s tallest building.

You can witness this thrilling underwater sequence for yourself when Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning hits theaters on May 23, 2025. If you need a refresher before its release, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning is now available on Prime Video, Paramount+, and MGM+. If you want to go back to where it all began, the 1996 action classic is also streaming on Paramount+.

Source: Empire