6 Best Action Sequences by Tom Cruise
Few Hollywood stars have built their reputation around action filmmaking quite like Tom Cruise. From hanging off aircraft to scaling the world’s tallest skyscraper and flying through mountain canyons, Cruise has repeatedly pushed the boundaries of what audiences expect from a movie action hero.
His Mission: Impossible films are packed with spectacular set pieces, but his work in Top Gun: Maverick and other blockbusters has also delivered unforgettable sequences. Here are six of his best.
1. Motorbike Cliff Jump — Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
This may be one of Cruise’s most audacious stunts.
As Ethan Hunt, Cruise rides a motorcycle toward the edge of a mountain before launching into the void. He then abandons the bike and deploys a parachute to descend toward a moving train.
The sequence combines speed, height and precision, creating an extraordinary sense of real danger. It has become one of the defining action moments of the modern Mission: Impossible franchise.
2. Burj Khalifa Climb — Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
Cruise took things to a terrifying height in Ghost Protocol.
Ethan Hunt has to climb the exterior of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, with the character seemingly suspended hundreds of metres above the ground. Cruise’s physical performance and the film’s use of the building’s immense scale make the sequence particularly nerve-racking.
The Burj Khalifa set piece is regularly cited among Cruise’s greatest stunts.
3. HALO Jump — Mission: Impossible – Fallout
In Fallout, Cruise performs a high-altitude, low-opening (HALO) jump as Ethan Hunt.
The sequence required Cruise to jump from roughly 25,000 feet, making the stunt both technically demanding and visually spectacular. The camera stays remarkably close to Cruise during parts of the descent, allowing viewers to experience the jump almost from his perspective.
4. Hanging From a Plane — Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
The opening of Rogue Nation immediately establishes just how far Cruise is willing to go for an action sequence.
Ethan Hunt finds himself hanging onto the outside of a military transport aircraft as it takes off. The combination of the aircraft’s speed, altitude and Cruise’s exposed position creates an unforgettable introduction to the movie.
The sequence became one of the most iconic images of Cruise’s action career.
5. Canyon Flight — Top Gun: Maverick
Cruise’s action work isn’t limited to stunts performed on the ground.
In Top Gun: Maverick, the low-level canyon flight sequence puts Maverick through an incredibly demanding aerial mission. The aircraft races through a narrow mountainous route at high speed while Maverick attempts to complete a nearly impossible manoeuvre.
The use of cockpit footage and the sense of speed make the sequence feel unusually immersive.
6. Helicopter Chase — Mission: Impossible – Fallout
The helicopter chase near the climax of Fallout is another showcase of Cruise’s commitment to practical action.
Ethan Hunt pursues August Walker through a mountainous landscape, with the sequence eventually leading to a fight at extreme heights. The combination of aerial manoeuvres, close combat and dangerous terrain gives the finale a relentless pace.
Tom Cruise’s Action Legacy
What separates Cruise from many action stars is not simply the scale of his stunts. His sequences often make the physical danger part of the story itself.
Whether he’s jumping from a cliff, climbing a skyscraper, hanging from an aircraft or flying through a canyon, the spectacle is built around the character’s immediate physical challenge.
That’s why, decades into his career, Tom Cruise remains one of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces in action cinema—and one of the few stars capable of turning a stunt into a major cinematic event.