WATCH: How Tom Cruise did his ‘Mission: Impossible’ airplane stunt

MANILA, Philippines – In Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Tom Cruise’s character, Ethan Hunt, performs a number of death-defying feats that only Ethan can attempt. And of course, the action superstar does his own stunts. 

In the last film, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Tom does an incredible stunt on a Dubai skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa. And this time, he tries to top it with another scary activity – hanging off the side of a moving plane. 

Yes, Tom really did the stunt, and the studio recently released a behind-the-scenes video for fans. As the plane gathers speed and takes off, Tom’s legs are seen lifting off the plane’s wings and trailing behind him as he hangs on. 

Jimmy Fallon also brought up the stunt when Tom guested on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Tom, who’s had a pilot’s license since 1994, said that he actually talked to the pilot about what angle the plane should be at for them to get the perfect shot – it took 8 takes to get it right.

Eight shots – when stunts of this nature are often one- or two-take scenes. 

He also admitted to some apprehension before going through with the shoot. “There’s a moment up there I’m going, ‘Oh, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. But it’s too late now!'” he laughed. 

Why would Tom risk getting hit by debris or falling to his death by hanging off the side of a plane in a suit? On The Tonight Show, he said, “Look, I do it because it’s entertaining to you all!”

Here are a couple more photos:

There’s a second critical stunt in Rogue Nation, too – one where Tom had to learn to hold his breath for 6 minutes, training with a freediver. 

Will you be watching the movie? Let us know in the comments below. – Rappler.com