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Tom Cruise is a Hollywood actor known for doing his own dangerous stunts, including vehicle chases, mid-air fights, and real explosions. From Top Gun to Mission: Impossible, he continuously raises the bar with his stunts, which often make headlines and draw audiences to his films.
As his latest Mission: Impossible film, The Final Reckoning releases on May 23, 2025, here is a quick list of five of the wildest stunts done by Tom Cruise over the years.
Escaping an explosion, fighting mid-air aboard a helicopter, and other wild stunts by Tom Cruise
1) When Cruise escaped from an explosion - Mission: Impossible (1996)
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Many of Tom Cruise’s dangerous stunts come from the Mission: Impossible series. In one risky scene, he created a real explosion in a restaurant aquarium, with 16 tons of water and glass crashing for authenticity. Cruise narrowly escaped before it all fell, delivering a stunning visual.
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Where to watch - Netflix
2) When Cruise used a NASA plane - The Mummy (2017)
During the shooting of The Mummy, Tom Cruise displayed his fortitude and strength when he shot a zero-gravity scene inside a NASA plane, for which he was not thoroughly trained.
The actor shot the scene 64 times in just two days. While the stunt was not life-threatening unlike his other stunts, it was a difficult scene nonetheless, as it required immense physical strength to repeatedly film a zero gravity scene under tough conditions.
Where to watch - Netflix
3) That time when Cruise did a dangerous eye stunt - Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)
Sometimes, it is not your body that is in danger from a stunt, but your eyes. This was the case during the filming of Mission: Impossible 2. In one scene, Tom Cruise decided to not use a stunt double but did a scene himself where a real knife comes dangerously close to his eye. Even though the stunt was done under controlled conditions, a single malfunction could mean that Cruise could have lost his eye.
Where to watch - Netflix
4) When Cruise was a part of a helicopter chase - Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
During the filming of Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Tom Cruise increased the stakes of his stunts. Cruise went through immense practice to train as a helicopter pilot for a scene, which has now become memorable. During the movie’s climax scene, Cruise had to navigate a falling helicopter while fighting against two enemies, which was a high-stakes scene. With each new installment in the Mission: Impossible series, the actor has surely increased the difficulty of his stunts.
Where to watch - Netflix
5) That time Cruise did a stunt mid-air - Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
Perhaps one of the most jaw-dropping stunts done by any actor is when Tom Cruise drove a motorcycle off a cliff and jumped out of it in mid-air. The entire stunt was done by the actor himself and the movie was Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. The actor had to further transition into a base jump. The stunt was one of the first scenes to be shot and even with a lot of technical and safety help on set, it was Cruise who did each aspect of the stunt himself.
Where to watch - Netflix
Viewers are welcome to go through the list to have a look at some of the most dangerous stunts done by Tom Cruise.
