Tom Cruise says he had to "train himself to breathe" for intense Mission: Impossible 8 stunts: "There were times I would pass out physically"

Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie went all out for the last installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise.

"There would be a day in Africa - any day in Africa - where Tom would go out and do something that topped anything he had ever done before," McQuarrie told Empire. "I truly want to puke thinking about the stress. It was intense.”

"When you stick your face out, going over 120 to 130 miles an hour, you’re not getting oxygen," Cruise explained. "So I had to train myself how to breathe. There were times I would pass out physically; I was unable to get back into the cockpit."

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, previously titled Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part Two, follows IMF agent Ethan Hunt as he attempts to destroy a dangerous AI known as The Entity. The first trailer was released in January, which sees Cruise hang from a biplane, engage in several high-octane fights, and do a series of death-defying underwater stunts. It's also worth mentioning that the film has a budget of $400 million, making it one of the most expensive films ever made - which makes sense for the last installment of one of the biggest action franchises ever.

The cast includes Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Angela Bassett, Nick Offerman, and Pom Klementieff.

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning hits theaters on May 23. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2025, or, check out our complete list of movie release dates.