London: Tom Cruise narrowly escaped death while performing a high-risk stunt for Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, according to the film’s director Christopher McQuarrie. The shocking incident occurred during the shooting of the final instalment in the Blockbuster franchise.
Speaking to Radar Online, McQuarrie revealed that Cruise, 62, was filming a daring scene on the wing of a biplane when things almost went fatally wrong.
Battling 140 mph winds and limited oxygen, the actor was outside the aircraft—a physically gruelling task only safe for 12 minutes. However, Cruise pushed beyond limits, staying out for 10 minutes.
Cruise became so exhausted that he could not lift himself off the wing at one point. “He was lying on the wing, arms hanging over the front. We couldn’t tell if he was conscious or not,” McQuarrie recalled.
Meanwhile, the pilot urgently warned that they had just three minutes of fuel left, yet they couldn’t land with Cruise still outside.
In a last burst of strength, Cruise pulled himself up, stuck his head into the cockpit to restore oxygen, and then climbed inside. “No one on earth can do that but Tom,” McQuarrie said.
The stunt underscores Cruise’s legendary commitment to practical effects, even when faced with mortal danger.
