Tom Cruise Had a Stunt Double Stand in for One Scene You Won't Believe in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - THE FINAL RECKONING

One Hollywood job that sounds particularly boring is being a stunt double for Tom Cruise. The actor is famous for doing his own stunts in films like Top Gun: Maverick and his Mission: Impossible franchise.

He and collaborator Christopher McQuarrie, who has directed the last several M:I movies, and written many others for Cruise, including Maverick, The Mummy, Jack Reacher, and Edge of Tomorrow, is constantly working with the actor to push the boundaries of their stunts and show movie-goers a good and thrilling time.

So it may come as a surprise that when Cruise and McQuarrie were working on their upcoming final chapter, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, there was one scene in which Cruise tapped out, and brought in his hired stunt double.

You may think it would have to be a scene that topped his previous scenes hanging out of an airplane, or riding a motorcycle off a cliff. But the scene actually involved the character Ethan Hunt turning some pages in a book.

In a report from The Mirror, the outlet said:

“They had a body double stand in for turning a page. It was to give run-down Tom a break – he’s been working so hard to get the film finished. But I’m not sure how turning a page would have added to that.”

The incident was talked about on Capital FM’s Capital Breakfast program, where co-host Siân Welby opened up about the rumors surrounding the film, and the scene that simply sees Ethan Hunt turning pages in a book:

“He does all his own stunts right? But in this movie, he’s hired a stunt double. This is because it’s probably one of the most deadly things he’s had to do.

What’s the one thing Tom Cruise will not risk getting? A paper cut. He’s hired a stunt double to turn a page for him in this new movie. That’s the one thing he will not do.”

This is obviously a silly take. Cruise is surely not afraid of paper cuts. But it makes sense that if he needed some personal time during the film’s shoot, or felt tired or under the weather, he would tell them to go ahead and shoot a mundane scene like reading a book so that he could rest up for the scenes that really matter to him.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning hits theaters on May 23, 2025. We will have to keep an eye out for Cruise’s fearless stunt double in the film!

via: CinemaBlend