Tom Cruise Reveals Harrowing Details Behind Underwater Stunt in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’: “I Was Blind, Weighted Down, and Breathing CO₂”

When it comes to pushing the limits of action cinema, Tom Cruise doesn’t just raise the bar—he dives right past it. In a recent appearance on The Tonight Show, the Hollywood icon peeled back the curtain on one of the most grueling stunts from the upcoming Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, detailing an intense underwater sequence that nearly broke him physically.

The scene in question features Cruise’s character, Ethan Hunt, infiltrating a high-security submarine while submerged in an underwater environment riddled with powerful lights and technical hazards. Cruise revealed that due to the intense lighting conditions, he was essentially blind during filming. “A lot of times I cannot see because of the reflection of the light,” he told host Jimmy Fallon. “So, I would go in, kind of blind, spend a lot of time on the set figuring out [the movement] as we’re figuring out the shots.”

But being underwater and visually impaired wasn’t enough of a challenge for Cruise—he also wore a diving suit that, once wet, weighed a staggering 125 pounds. “The kind of workouts and things that I have to do just to prepare for these things—it’s years of development,” he explained. “And yeah, I’m producing it too, so it’s also that kind of thing.”

Cruise, known for performing his own stunts across the Mission: Impossible franchise, emphasized the grueling physical toll such feats demand. He described extensive training and development not just to execute the stunts safely but to understand how to move in extreme conditions without compromising the action’s realism.

This isn’t the first time Cruise has shared the physiological challenges of the submarine sequence. In an earlier interview, the four-time Oscar nominee revealed that limitations in his diving equipment led to him breathing in his own carbon dioxide during long takes. “It builds up in the body and affects the muscles,” he explained. “You have to overcome all of that while you’re doing it, and be present.”

Despite the staggering physical toll, Cruise shows no signs of slowing down. With Final Reckoning slated as the epic two-part conclusion to the franchise that redefined action filmmaking, Cruise continues to raise expectations with each installment. If this underwater ordeal is any indication, the latest Mission: Impossible promises to be as perilous—and unforgettable—as ever.

And for Cruise? It’s just another day pushing the limits of what the human body—and blockbuster cinema—can do.