Tom Cruise can now film in space: The only oxygen he needs is adrenaline

India Today

22-05-2025

Disclaimer: This is not a review.It was the winter of 2011, and I had recently found my freedom after completing school when 'Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol' was released. With a meagre budget from some saved-up pocket money, I decided to give it a try at a single-screen theatre in Meerut, a small town in Uttar Pradesh.I was hooked from the first frame.advertisement
The music, the story, the stunts — and above all, the charm of Tom Cruise.
Tom Cruise during an elaborate stunt in Mission Impossible Final Reckoning. (Photo: Screengrab)
Over 14 years since that winter evening, both Tom Cruise and I have grown older, a lot wiser (me, a lot less though), and a little more serious about our crafts — he, a moviemaker; I, a lowly science journalist who continues to love movies.But having watched what Tom Cruise pulled off in 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning', I'm confident the 62-year-old specimen of flesh and bone has what it takes to make a film in space.advertisementYes, you read that right — outside the planet.Because what else is left? He's already conquered the three elements: land, sea, and air, thanks to his 'Top Guns' and 'Mission Impossibles'.Did you know there was even a plan for him to fly to the International Space Station — but, unfortunately, the Russians beat him to it.
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In late 2022, the buzz went viral when Donna Langley, chairperson of Universal Pictures, teased in an interview that they were contemplating a new action film with director Doug Liman.The movie, planned on a massive budget, would include scenes shot aboard the International Space Station. Langley mentioned the plan was to have Tom do a spacewalk too.But it never happened.Instead, a Russian crew, actor Yulia Peresild, and director Klim Shipenko, flew to the Space Station and shot a sequence for a film titled The Challenge. They lived aboard the Station for 12 days before returning to Earth with the footage.If Yulia can do it, Tom Cruise could do it a notch better — maybe even with a spacewalk, Sunita Williams style.advertisementFrom leaping off cliffs on a motorcycle, to running across buildings, to jumping off skyscrapers, to hanging off a plane facing monstrous air speeds, to going underwater and training to hold his breath for six straight minutes (the average human can do 30 to 90 seconds) — these are the stuff of legend. They're only possible with a life of discipline, a regimented routine, and a never-say-never attitude.No margin for error. pic.twitter.com/ufztxd9r05— Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) May 21, 2025Tom Cruise has all that — and, above all, in his own words, the hunger to learn and experiment.To shoot a film on the space station would call for a humongous collaboration — NASA, the production company, space station management, astronauts aboard the flying laboratory, SpaceX for launch and return missions, and most importantly, Tom Cruise himself, who would need months, if not years, of rigorous training.But given Tom's history and love for films, he could make it happen.If there is one last mission that Tom Cruise should choose to accept, it's to conquer the final frontier — space.And honestly? After watching 'Mission: Impossible', I'm convinced. If anyone can pull off cinema in zero gravity with a smile and a sprint, it's Cruise. Just don't forget the seatbelt. Or, you know Earth.Trending Reel