Over the past decade, Tom Cruise and the Mission: Impossible series have gone hand in hand. They’ve also become synonymous with the most satisfying franchise action in Hollywood at the moment, with Cruise pushing the envelope from film to film to make sure that he’s performing stunts that keep audiences on the edges of their seats. Soon, we all will be heading back to theaters for the latest chapter in the saga, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One, and while the action set pieces help to sell a lot of tickets, but it’s not the main thing that helps to make the franchise so great.
We got the opportunity to sit down with Mission: Impossible director Christopher McQuarrie, who has been at the helm of the Mission movies since Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (which you can watch if you have a Paramount+ subscription). Over the course of discussing the Fiat chase scene that has been a major part of the film’s marketing, I mentioned a comedic character moment that can be found in the chase. And with that reveal, McQuarrie opened up about what Tom Cruise brings to the franchise, that might go overlooked. He told CinemaBlend:
I’ll tell you, it is the unsung strength of Tom Cruise. He is not afraid to be vulnerable. He is not afraid to be awkward, to be embarrassed. To show fear! And to show humility. And it makes for a great character. It makes for a great (character) in action.
We make a lot of noise regarding Tom Cruise and his commitment to the stunts in Mission: Impossible. All through production on Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One, we covered the prep that Cruise put into the motorcycle-off-a-cliff sequence. It’s magnificent. But we keep coming back to this franchise because we care about Ethan Hunt. And the reason that we do is because Cruise comes up with those emotional moments in between the stunts, helping us to invest in this skilled spy as he embarks on each new mission. It helps him plan for the unexpected in a scene. Like cobblestones creating physical headaches during the Fiat chase. And it helps him develop this mysterious character with each new film.
In Dead Reckoning, Part One, there is a threat from Ethan’s past that returns to haunt him, and while the cast of the Mission: Impossible series understands that Tom Cruise risks his life for them with each new stunt, Hunt can’t accept that… and will go to great lengths to protect his team. The critics already have weighed in, and soon you will be able to see Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One on the biggest screen possible beginning July 11. It’s one of many upcoming 2023 films on our radar for the weeks to come.
