Tom Cruise has never hidden that his Mission: Impossible thrills are built on real-world high-stakes, training, and repetition. But ahead of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, the actor is offering a more grounded detail about what it takes to pull off one of the movie’s headline sequences: he eats a “massive breakfast”—including nearly a dozen eggs—before climbing onto a plane moving at more than 120 mph.
In a rare interview with PEOPLE, Cruise described the meal as practical fuel rather than a gimmick. The wing-walking sequence is shot at high altitude in cold air, where the physical workload spikes fast. “My body is burning a lot,” Cruise said, explaining why he loads up on calories and fluids before heading into the sky.
Why that breakfast matters for the stunt
The biplane sequence is not a controlled “soundstage illusion.” Cruise, director Christopher McQuarrie, and stunt coordinator Wade Eastwood have emphasized the franchise’s commitment to authenticity—capturing action in real flight conditions rather than relying on a green-screen workaround for the core of the scene.
That matters because the body doesn’t treat a stunt like a film set. At speed, wind resistance, cold exposure, grip strain, and oxygen management stack up quickly. Cruise told PEOPLE the breakfast typically includes sausage, bacon, toast, coffee, plenty of fluids, and “almost a dozen eggs” to keep him functioning through the effort.
A new “Mission” milestone — even for Cruise
Cruise has performed major aerial set pieces before, including the widely discussed moment in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation where he clung to the exterior of a plane during takeoff—an earlier example of the series’ preference for practical spectacle.
What makes the new biplane work stand out is the combination of speed, exposure, and sustained performance—selling character beats while your body is essentially working against the elements. Cruise has framed this as part of a lifelong fascination with aviation and wing-walking, but also as a deliberate attempt to keep raising the bar for what an action sequence can look and feel like on screen.
More than planes: the film’s other physical demands
The PEOPLE interview also touches on the wider scale of Cruise’s preparation, including complex underwater work—another area where breathing control and stress management aren’t optional. Cruise discussed how his aviation background and training helped him manage oxygen and maintain focus during demanding sequences designed to feel immediate and real.
It’s the same theme as the breakfast: the “secret” isn’t one trick. It’s an entire system—conditioning, technical skill, safety planning, and a willingness to be uncomfortable for the shot.
Release timing
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is positioned as the franchise’s eighth instalment and was scheduled for a May 23, 2025, theatrical release, with a high-profile Cannes premiere also part of the film’s rollout.
