Mission: Impossible - Final Reckoning features brutal biplane stunt

Tom Cruise’s latest Mission Impossible installment pushes stuntwork to an extreme, with the centerpiece sequence in which Hunt clings to the wing of a fully airborne biplane nearly ending in disaster. In newly released behind-the-scenes commentary accompanying Mission Impossible The Final Reckoning, Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie recount how the midair battle between Hunt and Gabriel tested both performer and crew, revealing the real-life toll of a stunt performed largely without digital aids. The discussion comes as the film rolls out in digital formats and prepares for home media releases.

The broadcasted sequence shows Hunt leaping from one plane to another, then hanging onto a wing as the aircraft rolls upside down. Cruise, famed for performing his own stunts, recalls, “Oh, this almost broke my back,” as the action unfolds. McQuarrie emphasizes the brutal nature of the moment, noting the plane’s belt hold, which Hunt uses to remain attached as the plane flips. The director adds that the grip sequence “separated the joints in Tom’s fingers from the force,” leaving Hunt’s hands swollen by the end of the take. Cruise confirms the physical demands, calling the moment...