6 impossible ways Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt defies death.

Tom Cruise has earned a reputation for being one of the most daring Hollywood stars, especially for performing extreme stunts through the action spy film series, Mission: Impossible. His commitment to executing some of the most breathtaking stunts in cinematic history has become a hallmark of the franchise.

Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible II | Credit: Paramount Pictures

However, some of these scenes appear excessively improbable, with luck continually favoring Hunt and allowing him to escape from life-threatening situations. Following are six such incidents where the brilliant IMF agent should have met his end, but against all odds, he managed to survive each time.

Fish Tank Explosion in Mission: Impossible

Tom Cruise is renowned for his daring stunts, and the first Mission: Impossible film featured several intense sequences, including a high-speed train chase and a memorable fish tank explosion. The latter revolves around Ethan Hunt confronting IMF director Eugene Kittridge.

He is furious upon discovering that Kittridge inadvertently caused the deaths of his initial team members while attempting to uncover a mole. In a moment of anger and needing a quick exit, Hunt hurls something at a nearby massive fish tank, causing it to explode and creating a diversion for his escape.

Mission: Impossible | Credit: Paramount Pictures

However, the scenario would have been a lot worse than portrayed in the movie, as evidenced by the incident that happened at a Radisson Collection hotel in Berlin, where a large aquarium burst, resembled an explosion with significant consequences.

Considering the real-life impact such an incident had, surviving a similar explosion, which would involve a powerful rush of water and dangerous shards of glass, seems improbable for Ethan Hunt in reality.

Rock Climbing in Mission: Impossible II

The sequel to the 1996 original film opens with a captivating and thrilling sequence where Cruise’s Ethan Hunt performs an impressive rock climbing feat at Dead Horse Point before receiving his next mission. While the scene is visually stunning, experts have pointed out some inconsistencies.

Mission: Impossible II | Credit: Paramount Pictures

“This is completely outrageous but kind of amazing,” Alex Honnold, a professional rock climber told GQ. He also debunked some of the sequences as unrealistic. “I’ll be hanging by one hand on the lip of a sandstone thing extremely unrealistic,” he further said.

However, despite his critique, Honnold acknowledged the authenticity of the character’s climbing form. He also noted that such unrealistic and unnecessary aerobatics could be fatal, emphasizing that such heights should not be scaled without a rope.

Climbing Burj Khalifa in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

Climbing the Burj Khalifa has been one of the biggest highlights of the franchise, with Ethan Hunt scaling 11 stories of the world’s tallest building to access a server room. Equipped with specialized magnetic gloves, which, although fictional, add to the movie’s intrigue.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol | Credit: Paramount Pictures

However, Hunt faces a significant challenge when the gloves fail, forcing him to rely on his free-climbing skills. The expert Alex Honnold, who has climbed the Burj Khalifa himself, analyzed Cruise’s stunt, saying that the way Hunt clings to the chrome beams would be impossible.

“It’s incredibly bumpy. It makes you very, very fatigued,” he said, highlighting that even a minor step at such dizzying heights could lead to fatal consequences. Despite the high risks, Hunt showcases his ability to navigate these dangers without severe consequences.

Surviving a Car Hit in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

Some of the key events of Ghost Protocol unfold in Dubai, where Ethan Hunt contends not only with adversaries but also with unforgiving weather conditions. After a target eludes him and attempts to escape, Hunt pursues but encounters another obstacle, a relentless sandstorm.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) | Credit: Paramount Pictures

During the pursuit, Hunt tracks the target only to realize the danger when the target speeds directly toward him. In a daring move to intercept, Hunt leaps onto the car but fails to maintain his grip as the vehicle accelerates away.

In reality, facing a head-on collision with a speeding car—even at 35 mph—poses a significant risk of fatality. The car depicted in the film appears to be moving much faster, heightening the danger considerably. Yet, once again, Tom Cruise’s character, Ethan Hunt, defies the odds and survives the perilous encounter.

Skydiving Through a Raging Thunderstorm in Mission: Impossible – Fallout

Mission: Impossible – Fallout features a meticulously crafted skydiving scene that took a year of preparation for the filmmakers and Tom Cruise himself. The sequence features Ethan Hunt alongside August Walker skydiving to enter Paris, with Hunt cautioning Walker to maintain his oxygen supply.

Despite Hunt’s warning about an approaching thunderstorm, Walker disregards it and jumps prematurely, encountering the storm head-on. While Hunt is rendered unconscious by the incident, the scene underscores the potentially fatal consequences of such scenarios.

In reality, a thunderstorm poses significant risks during skydiving; loss of control due to turbulence, disruption of the trajectory by strong winds, and the grave danger of lightning strikes—all downplayed in the film. Any of these factors could have resulted in the tragic deaths of both Ethan Hunt and August Walker, highlighting the exaggerated risks often portrayed in cinematic adventures.

The Train Sequence in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning

Released in 2023, and touted as one of the final films in the franchise, Dead Reckoning also featured some of the extreme stunts performed by the action star. One standout sequence involves Ethan parachuting onto a moving train to rescue Grace, only for Gabriel to escape with the key and sabotage the bridge ahead.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One | Credit: Paramount Pictures

As Hunt and Grace manage to detach the runaway train, the first two carriages become dangerously unstable, tilting perilously. Displaying incredible agility, they navigate sliding and even vertically inclined carriages.

Despite the thrilling suspense, it’s important to acknowledge that survival odds for both characters would be slim in such a scenario. Yet, Tom Cruise, who has continuously dodged such horrific incidents from going fatal for over three decades as Ethan Hunt in the hit franchise.

Mission: Impossible franchise is available to stream on Paramount+.