Mission: Impossible 7’s Tom Cruise Explains The Ways His Wild Motorcycle Stunt Could Have Gone Wrong

Ethan Hunt riding a motorcycle at top speed in Mission: Impossible - Fallout

Tom Cruise has become synonymous with dangerous, over-the-top stunts since films like Top Gun and Days of Thunder ruled the box office. So Mission: Impossible 7 will be no different. But as witnessed with Mission: Impossible – Fallout, sometimes, those stunts can veer in the wrong direction for Cruise. The Mission: Impossible 7 star explained all the ways his wild motorcycle could’ve gone wrong.

Tom Cruise’s reputation as a stunt performer has become a legend both in and outside of Hollywood. He’s one reason other Hollywood stars such as Michael B. Jordan and Tom Holland prefer doing their stunts. But the Mission: Impossible 7 stunt could’ve spelled the end of Cruise. The box office star spoke on all the possible worst-case scenarios associated with the death-defying stunt.

If the wind was too strong, it would blow me off the ramp. The helicopter [filming the stunt] was a problem, because I didn’t want to be hammering down that ramp at top speed and get hit by a stone. Or if I departed in a weird way, we didn’t know what was going to happen with the bike. I had about six seconds once I departed the ramp to pull the chute and I don’t want to get tangled in the bike. If I do, that’s not going to end well.

Tom Cruise admitted to Empire getting to do the dangerous motorcycle stunt was emotional for him. He was grateful to work with the cast and crew of the Mission: Impossible sequel. Cruise called the return to set after the COVID-19 shutdown “a huge relief.” So doing the stunt was more about a return to normal for the movie star.

After reading about the stunt, Tom Cruise’s words weren’t surprising. As previously mentioned, the actor is known for performing risky stunts on the Mission: Impossible franchise. Sometimes this has been to the detriment of the film’s production. But that just speaks to how much Cruise loves his job as well as being an adrenaline junkie.

His emotions about returning to Mission: Impossible 7 have been on display for months now. Tom Cruise’s infamous on-set rant was a sign of that pressure in a post-COVID Hollywood. As he has continued to film the Fallout sequel, some have been more serious while others were more peculiar or incidental. Cruise even addressed his emotions connected to the viral outburst and went so far to stand behind said outburst. But the actor’s passion for his work has made him one of Hollywood’s top stars.

Tom Cruise’s prowess as a stunt performer feeds into his image of being a guy’s guy. Given his decades-long career, it’s commendable that the actor is still performing dangerous stunts at this point. Fans will get to see the results of Cruise’s wild motorcycle stunt when Mission: Impossible 7 arrives in theaters on May 7, 2022.

Adreon Patterson
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