Tom Cruise has never been a regular movie star. He has the fandom, but he’s earned it like no other from his class. A true blue action hero, Tom Cruise earned the title after doing all his action stunts on his own, without the support of a stunt double. The Mission Impossible hero paved the way for other actors to stay fit and put in the extra effort, but there’s no one in his league even now, even though he’s 60 now.
From the first time he took a leap of faith to the last Mission, here’s taking a look at the evolution of Tom Cruise’s stunts:
Evolution of Tom Cruise’s stunts
Tom Cruise has spent nearly three decades turning the Mission: Impossible franchise into a high-octane masterclass in stunt evolution. When the first film hit theatres in 1996, it was defined by a single, nail-biting moment: Cruise suspended inches above a pressure-sensitive floor. At the time, it was revolutionary. But looking back now, it almost feels like a warm-up.
By Mission: Impossible 2, he was scaling the cliffs of Dead Horse Point in Utah with no harness and no stunt double.
In Mission: Impossible 3, the action moved faster and tighter, blending hand-to-hand combat with relentless chases.
Then came Ghost Protocol and the Burj Khalifa. Cruise didn’t just climb the world’s tallest building – he sprinted across it, hundreds of feet in the air, with only the glass beneath him.
Rogue Nation made headlines with him clinging to the side of a military aircraft as it actually took off.
Fallout followed with HALO jumps from 25,000 feet, precision helicopter flying through Himalayan canyons, and a rooftop sprint in London that left Cruise with a broken ankle – but he kept running.
Each instalment has built on the last, expanding the ambition and scale of what’s possible onscreen – all led by a 60-year-old actor who isn’t just starring, but producing and training to execute these feats himself.
With Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, we’re promised Cruise’s biggest stunt yet – one that involves a plane, Cruise 8000 feet in the air and 140 mph winds. It sounds like a dare.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning will release in cinemas in India on May 23 in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu in IMAX.