The Mission Impossible movies have entertained viewers for the past three decades. From hanging off of an airplane and climbing a cliff to holding his breath underwater for six minutes and climbing the world’s tallest building, Tom Cruise has participated in a jaw-dropping amount of wild stunts. These stunts have characterized the movies, with each movie becoming more perilous than the last.
On May 23, 2025, “Mission: Impossible Final Reckoning” is debuting in theaters, and is the sequel to the previous film, “Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning”. This will be the eighth and final part of the “Mission Impossible” series.
This series follows Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) through his experiences working for the Impossible Missions Force (IMF), an imaginary group working under the U.S. government. The IMF is called into action to complete tasks and missions that are seemingly impossible. In the latest film, Ethan must complete his most difficult mission yet, retrieving a new weapon that threatens the safety of the world. He faces an all-powerful enemy and the difficult realization that the mission must come first, even over the individual lives of his friends.
The series thus far has culminated in one question for Ethan: can he complete his mission while keeping all of his friends safe?
Ethan has always prioritized the safety of his friends and individual people. So coming to terms with the fact that this isn’t always the best option has been a long and difficult process. He has nearly lost his wife Julia Meade (Michelle Moaghan), his friend and tech support Benji (Simon Pegg), his mentor Luther (Ving Rhames) and ultimately did lose his friend/love interest Ilsa (Rebecca Ferguson).
Fans of the series have high expectations for the movie, as it involves more daring stunts than ever before and concludes Ethan’s missions. “My expectation for the last movie is closure. This character has sacrificed over and over,” shared Tom Cruise and “Mission: Impossible” fan Shawn Morrow. “I want to see him obtain peace and rest.” Hunt has made a lot of sacrifice, fulfilling daring missions with little support or recognition while putting those he cares for most in danger.
Along with its plot, the movies are known for Tom Cruise and his incredible stunt work. Cruise does most of, if not all, his own stunts throughout the film series. To Cruise, doing his own stunts in how he can be the most authentic in his acting of the character. All of the action in his movies feels real because it is.
While it may seem more impressive for actors to do their own stunts, it won’t necessarily result in higher quality acting. “I do not think it creates better or more authentic acting. Good actors immerse themselves in the character or situation and then act the part,” continued Morrow. “I think Tom Cruise leaves the realm of acting and enters reality by doing his own stunts. I think this gives him a high and variety in his career that he desires.”
Tom Cruise is a better actor when he does his own stunts, which is impressive and does create better movies; however, this shouldn’t necessarily be applied to all actors to create better movies.
Additionally, there are safety concerns related to actors who do their own stunts. For example, Tom Cruise broke his ankle mid-scene while filming “Mission Impossible: Fall Out.” Cruise was performing a stunt in which he jumped from one building rooftop to another. He landed incorrectly and broke his ankle in the process. While he was able to eventually execute the scene, this is unrealistic for most actors and actresses. It requires intense training and practice to be capable of performing stunts that not all performers can and are willing to invest in.
That being said, practical stunts usually add a stronger feeling of authenticity to a scene when they are safe to use. “If the stunt being performed is not going to cause lots of risk for the actor’s health, then it is better if it is actually being done, versus CGI,” explained avid moviegoer Megan Merrell.
The new “Mission Impossible” faces high expectations and pressure as it approaches its release date due to its conclusion of Ethan Hunt’s decades long story. Viewers, while hopeful for a peaceful conclusion, will be sad to see this beloved series come to an end.
