Mission: Impossible has become the gold standard when it comes to movie stunts. The action franchise has become synonymous with death-defying skydives, helicopter crashes, and car chases. The latest installment, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, is almost hitting theaters, and the cast has been open about which stunts scared them the most.
Hayley Atwell, a franchise first-timer, talked to IMDb about the daunting task of keeping up with star Tom Cruise. A car chase featuring Atwell and Cruise has been heavily featured in the Dead Reckoning Part One trailer, but it was an altogether different stunt that freaked the actress out the most.
Atwell told the outlet that a climactic action scene involving a train was the most difficult for her to shoot. “The vertical train rig, I mean, just insane,” she explained. “Going from horizontal to vertical in six seconds on a steep incline and having to reach your mark and hang from it as we’re hanging over a ravine.”
The actress is no stranger to thrilling set pieces. She spent a decade playing Peggy Carter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and has executed her fair share of impressive stunts on shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013-20) and Agent Carter (2015-16). That being said, the train scene took a physical toll, and Cruise noticed.
“At one point, Tom looked at me, and he could tell I’d had adrenal fatigue,” Atwell recalled. “And he just looked at me and went, ‘You need some chocolate.’” This is actually a proven method of boosting energy. Chocolate contains small amounts of caffeine, which can obviously help someone tired, but the National Library of Medicine states that specific kinds of chocolate can improve “brain health and various cognitive functions.”
Cruise has become arguably the most famous stuntman of all time, so it makes sense that he would know a quick fix to stay focused. Atwell sang Cruise’s praises during a separate interview with Screen Rant. She singled out the actor’s ability to juggle technical precision with the dramatic stakes of the film.
“He’s an athlete, he is a stuntman, and he’s one of the best in the world,” she opined. “When he comes to set, not only is he fully engaged in the technical side of things and the acting side of things, but he is so clear and aware physically of what needs to happen.”
It looks like Atwell and Cruise’s hard work has paid off. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is predicted to earn $100 million during its opening weekend, which, according to Forbes, would be the biggest domestic opening number for the franchise to date. For context, the current highest opening weekend is $61 million, which was achieved by Mission: Impossible – Fallout in 2018.
Critics also seem to be taken with the film. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One currently has 98% critics on Rotten Tomatoes, with a description that reads: “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One proves this is still a franchise you should choose to accept.” We suggest you check out the film (and the train scene) as soon as possible!