Tom Cruise details riding a motorcycle over a cliff for 'Mission: Impossible 7'

By Megan Armstrong | Last updated 5/10/21

Tom Cruise has defied all odds through the Mission Impossible franchise since 1996, but he humanized himself a little bit as Empire Magazine's new cover star while describing a motorcycle stunt that will be featured in the forthcoming Mission: Impossible 7 and qualifies as his most dangerous stunt ever.

"If the wind was too strong, it would blow me off the ramp," Cruise said in the feature, which included exclusive photos. "The helicopter [filming the stunt] was a problem, because I didn't want to be hammering down that ramp at top speed and get hit by a stone—or, if I departed in a weird way, we didn't know what was going to happen with the bike. I had about six seconds once I departed the ramp to pull the chute, and I don't want to get tangled in the bike. If I do, that's not going to end well."

Tom Cruise speaks to Empire about pulling off the most dangerous stunt of his career for #MissionImpossible7. Read more and see an exclusive behind-the-scenes image here: https://t.co/ak4dz4Gn18 pic.twitter.com/sSH1xHGKec
— Empire Magazine (@empiremagazine) May 10, 2021

The Cruise-themed issue, on sale May 13, also delves into Top Gun: Maverick—a sequel 35 years in the making due out Nov. 19:

"Producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Joseph Kosinski explain why it was crucial to introduce a new generation of fully fleshed-out pilots—including Rooster, played by Miles Teller, and Monica Barbaro’s Phoenix ... in the next chapter of Maverick's life story. 'We were always going to do a character piece,' says Bruckheimer. 'The mantra from everybody was following the Maverick story, and where he is in his life. And we explore his character through the younger pilots, and what he's searching for.'"

Long-awaited sequel #TopGunMaverick is 'a character piece' as well as an action blockbuster, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Joseph Kosinski tell Empire. Read more and see an exclusive new image here: https://t.co/UiX9pqcfDn pic.twitter.com/QMhsZQn0Qb
— Empire Magazine (@empiremagazine) May 10, 2021