Intense Scene in Tom Cruise’s Movie ‘Mission: Impossible 8’ Nearly Caused a Fan to Have a ‘Heart Attack’

Christopher McQuarrie, the director of “Mission Impossible 8” starring Tom Cruise, recently shared a surprising story about a fan’s intense reaction to the movie’s daring stunts.

During a private screening, an audience member confessed to McQuarrie that they felt like they were unable to breathe during a specific action-packed scene.

Meanwhile, Tom Cruise is reportedly seeking a young actor to portray his character Ethan Hunt’s early life in future films.

In an interview with Empire Magazine, McQuarrie discussed how one viewer was so captivated by the heart-pounding stunts in the upcoming film “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” that they had a hard time handling the intensity.

“We had a small screening, and someone said, ‘I was suffocating throughout the entire sequence. I almost had a heart attack,'” McQuarrie shared, per Games Radar.

The 56-year-old filmmaker responded with a sense of pride, saying, “I thought, ‘I guess we did something right.'”

Known for performing nearly all of his death-defying stunts, the 62-year-old Cruise has consistently raised the stakes in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise.

Cruise has previously showcased jaw-dropping feats like high-altitude skydives and motorcycle jumps off cliffs in past “Mission: Impossible” movies.

However, the new film will see the movie star perform his most daring stunt yet, according to reports.

During the Empire interview, McQuarrie also hinted that the upcoming installment is possibly the final film, and it contains the most challenging stunt he and Cruise have ever tackled.

While McQuarrie remained tight-lipped about the details, he didn’t confirm if this particular stunt was the one that left the viewers fearing for their health.

Cruise is reportedly searching for a young actor to step into the role of a younger Ethan Hunt in the next two “Mission: Impossible” films.

Sources reveal that Cruise is eager to delve into the early life of his iconic character, offering fans a fresh perspective on the secret agent’s backstory.

An insider shared that the upcoming eighth and ninth installments will introduce flashbacks to Ethan’s youth, with the young actor making an appearance in the next film and playing a more prominent role in the ninth.

“Tom is keen to give Mission: Impossible a fresh take in the next two films and wants to explore a bit of Ethan’s past,” the source explained to The Sun. “They’re going to start looking for a young star to take on the role and they will appear a bit in the next film and then more in the ninth. It’s very important to Tom that they get the right person.”

The insider continued: “They are seeking a youngster who is completely fresh on the scene and will cause a real stir. It’s a huge role, but the hunt is on to see if they can find a young Tom Cruise.”

“The scenes will show Ethan in his early life and explore the things that happened to him before he went on to start working as a spy. It is something they’ve not done before with ‘Mission: Impossible’ and so Tom thinks it could be a really interesting tangent for fans,” they added.

The trailer for “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” takes fans on a nostalgic journey, featuring clips from the franchise’s beginnings under legendary director Brian De Palma.

It also showcases Cruise’s iconic portrayal of Ethan Hunt, complete with his signature sprinting scenes and a host of jaw-dropping stunts.

One standout moment shows the “Jack Reacher” star locked in a knife fight while wearing only his underwear.

The trailer also teases underwater sequences, including one where Cruise enters a submarine armed with nuclear warheads and another where he seems to be submerged at the ocean’s depths without any breathing equipment.

Perhaps the most daring sequence features Cruise clinging to a biplane as it flips upside down and narrowly avoids smashing into a rocky cliff face.

Unlike previous installments with loose connections, The “Final Reckoning” is a direct sequel to “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” (2023).

Despite high expectations, “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” underperformed at the box office, earning $570 million globally on a $291 million budget, according to Box Office Mojo.

This was a significant drop from the $791 million grossed by its predecessor, “Mission: Impossible — Fallout (2018),” which was produced for just $180 million.

However, the film was well-received by critics, and a significant portion of its inflated $291 million budget was attributed to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The film also faced stiff competition, debuting just a week before the much-anticipated “Barbenheimer” phenomenon—Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.”

Initially billed as the final chapter for Cruise’s Ethan Hunt, director Christopher McQuarrie later disputed those claims during the promotion of “Dead Reckoning Part One.”

Cruise himself has since expressed interest in continuing Hunt’s adventures, hinting at further missions even as he grows older.

“Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” is set to hit theaters on May 23 of this year.