Tom Cruise is a master at defying death in the air. Although Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning doesn’t come out until May, we’ve already seen the action star risking everything to hang upside down from a biplane, his latest in a long list of breathtaking stunts that already include riding a motorbike off a cliff in the previous film, Dead Reckoning, and performing a HALO Jump for Fallout. However, in what could be Ethan Hunt’s last ride, he’s not just pushing his limits far above the ground, but also deep underwater. Empire Magazine shared a new image that sees him diving deep to reach the wreckage of the Sevastopol submarine and, according to the actor, it was far more of a challenge than a single shot can convey.Donning only some swimwear and a mask lit up to show it’s him, Cruise is shown next to another diver within the crashed vessel. The sequence pictured is shot in an 8.5 million-liter water tank complete with the setpiece and placed on a gimbal to rotate on command and create an even more disorienting experience once inside the submarine. Like many of Hunt’s missions, this one goes to hell in a handbasket and his journey deep down will turn into a whirling maelstrom that tested Cruise‘s physicality to bring to life. Adding to the challenge was that he could only wear his gear for ten minutes at a time due to Hypoxia—a lack of oxygen in his body tissue—as he told Empire, “I’m breathing in my own carbon dioxide. It builds up in the body and affects the muscles.”
Director Christopher McQuarrie has put Cruise through the wringer for his Mission: Impossible efforts, but the underwater sequence was a real challenge for both men. While Cruise bore the brutal physical punishment, McQuarrie sought to somehow ensure his dive was actually survivable while still being a high-stress, chaotic mess that was understandable for viewers. “He’s in a rotating structure filled with debris, and you had to find a way to make that environment look as chaotic and unhinged as humanly possible, but in a way that you could repeat, and that Tom could navigate, and survive,” he explained. On top of navigating the churning waters on a time limit, Cruise also had to remember to actually act and “be present,” which is a lot easier said than done. It’s another scene that backs up McQuarrie‘s test audiences’ reactions and assures edge-of-your-seat action.
How Does ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ Pick Up From ‘Dead Reckoning’?
The harrowing underwater scene will also be at the center of the story for The Final Reckoning. At the end of Dead Reckoning, Ethan and his team managed to snag the completed key to the powerful rogue AI, The Entity, from Gabriel (Esai Morales) during their final confrontation. With the item in hand, their next course of action is to locate the Sevastopol submarine that housed The Entity and head down to destroy it. The vessel still holds plenty of secrets that could complicate their mission, however. They’re also bound to have enemies on their tail throughout the whole adventure, as Gabriel and other world superpowers seek to control the AI and use its powers to control technology for their own gain. Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Pom Klementieff, and Vanessa Kirby among others will reprise their roles alongside Cruise and Morales, with newcomers including Hannah Waddingham, Nick Offerman, and Tramell Tillman.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning hits theaters on May 23 and will enjoy a three-week exclusive run in IMAX. Check out the new image of Cruise‘s latest stunt in the gallery above.
via Collider