Mind-Blowing Revelation: Blockbuster 'Mission Impossible 7' Unleashes Unprecedented VFX Technique on Tom Cruise – Shocking Details Inside!

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One director Christopher McQuarrie admits that they considered utilizing VFX to make Tom Cruise appear younger in a discarded opening flashback scene. In the seventh installment of the action-packed franchise, McQuarrie and Cruise collaborate once again as superspy Ethan Hunt takes on a formidable new enemy to eradicate a dangerous AI called the Entity. The film has already gained critical and commercial success, but McQuarrie discloses that the sequel almost took a different path.

After the release of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, McQuarrie reveals in an interview with Total Film (via GamesRadar) that there was nearly an opening flashback scene where Cruise's character would be digitally aged down by several decades. Although this scene didn't make it into the final film, the director hasn't dismissed the possibility of including a similar sequence in a future installment. Read McQuarrie's complete statement below.

Originally, there was a whole opening sequence planned for the movie set in 1989. We considered it as a cold open, as well as incorporating flashbacks throughout the film. We even explored the possibility of utilizing de-aging technology.

While conducting research on de-aging, one aspect that stood out to me was how well some instances of de-aging were executed, while others fell short. However, what I found interesting was that, in the midst of evaluating the de-aging effects, I realized that I wasn't fully engaged in following the storyline. Instead, I was preoccupied by the transformation of an actor whom I had known for an extended period suddenly appearing as a younger version of themselves.

"In researching that, I cracked the code – I think – on how best to approach it. By then, we had kind of moved away from it. We may still play with it. We never say never."

Is Deaging Tom Cruise For Mission: Impossible A Good Idea?

The most recent film to tackle the de-aging of its protagonist is undoubtedly "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny." In this movie, the star of the franchise, Harrison Ford, undergoes a remarkable transformation to appear about 30 years younger for an extended opening flashback scene. While the visual effects utilized during this sequence are a mixture of success and failure, there is some truth to McQuarrie's observation. The technical aspects of filmmaking somewhat overshadow this particular scene, and although the action set piece is skillfully executed, the visual effects can be somewhat distracting.

The recent Mission: Impossible films stand out for their focus on practical filmmaking, with stunts primarily captured in-camera. While there are often VFX enhancements, this sets the franchise apart from others. An extended opening flashback, where Cruise's character is de-aged, could delve deeper into Ethan's past but may feel out of place and not be technologically advanced enough.

Despite this, both McQuarrie and Cruise express interest in future sequels beyond Mission: Impossible 8. Cruise even mentioned the possibility of continuing to make action movies into his 70s and 80s, following Ford's lead. While Cruise shows no signs of slowing down in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, there will inevitably be physical limitations due to aging. At that point, de-aging technology may become a valuable storytelling tool.

Source: Total Film (via GamesRadar)