Tom Cruise’s Crazy, Death-Defying Stunts Land 5-Minute Cannes Standing Ovation at ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ Premiere
Natacha Pisarenko/Invision, via Associated Press
At 62, Cruise strips down, dives deep, and thrills the Croisette as the final Mission film explodes onto the Cannes stage.
The 78th Cannes Film Festival was set ablaze on Tuesday night by the high-octane, high-stakes world premiere of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, with Tom Cruise once again proving himself not only as Hollywood’s most durable action hero but also as a performer devoted to the cinematic spectacle. The film earned a thunderous five-minute standing ovation, not just for its jaw-dropping practical stunts, but for what many saw as Cruise’s emotional farewell to the franchise that defined a generation of blockbuster filmmaking.
Before the lights dimmed, a live 40-piece orchestra greeted guests inside the Grand Théâtre Lumière with the iconic Mission: Impossible theme, setting an exhilarating tone for the evening. The audience’s excitement was palpable—and with good reason. Cruise’s reputation for pushing the limits of physical endurance in service of cinema is legendary, but what unfurled onscreen pushed even his known boundaries.
The final act of The Final Reckoning stunned audiences with a barrage of action, including a brutal three-minute knife fight staged inside a cramped submarine—performed by Cruise clad only in boxer briefs. The sequence, both intensely choreographed and emotionally resonant, left more than a few theatergoers gasping. An extended underwater set piece followed, featuring the 62-year-old actor in a state of near-total exposure and complete vulnerability, signaling the most physically revealing performance of his career.
Not everyone could hang on for the full 166-minute ride. A handful of attendees exited early, overwhelmed not by the quality of the film, but by its relentless pacing and physical intensity. Still, as the credits rolled, applause erupted—and it didn’t stop for five minutes.
Tom Cruise looks up ahead of the screening of the film "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning" at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 14, 2025.
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Cruise, clearly moved, clasped his chest, nodding and thanking the crowd as he stood beside director Christopher McQuarrie. The two embraced warmly, exchanging words with cast members and special guests Zoe Saldaña and Marco Perego-Saldaña. The camera lingered on the ensemble—Simon Pegg, Angela Bassett, Hayley Atwell, and Ving Rhames among them—all visibly emotional.
McQuarrie, who has helmed four Mission films, took the mic first. “This response is why we do it,” he said. “These two films were made over seven years, across a pandemic and two industry strikes. What you see here is the result of tireless commitment and vision.” He praised the cast for their resilience and singled out Cruise as both muse and co-architect: “As a kid, I didn’t fit in. I got to grow up and have my very own action figure.”
Tom Cruise poses alongside director Christopher McQuarrie on the set of "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning." Courtesy Paramount Pictures
Cruise responded with his signature blend of humility and gratitude. “As a kid growing up, I could never have imagined standing here,” he said. “Thirty years with this franchise, making movies for the big screen. McQ, you went beyond every expectation. I can’t wait for what’s next.”
The comparison to 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick was inevitable. That film’s Cannes premiere featured a fighter jet flyover and ended with a surprise Palme d’Or for Cruise. While The Final Reckoning lacked the sky theatrics, it delivered emotional resonance and kinetic thrills in equal measure. Paramount will be hoping it replicates Maverick's massive $1.46 billion global box office success—especially after 2023’s Dead Reckoning Part One underperformed, grossing $571 million worldwide.
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In addition to Cruise, the film reunites the franchise’s core with newcomers including Janet McTeer, Hannah Waddingham, and Nick Offerman. Shot across six countries, the film doubles down on the globe-trotting, espionage-fueled ethos of the series while layering a melancholic undertone. There is an air of finality to The Final Reckoning—not just in name, but in tone.
Whether this truly marks the end of Cruise’s Ethan Hunt era remains to be seen, but if it is, the actor couldn’t have scripted a more triumphant exit. Daring, raw, and unapologetically committed to the power of cinema, Cruise reminded Cannes why the big screen still matters.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 14 ahead of its release in cinemas from May 23.
