First deleted scene from Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning released

The underwater sequence in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning could have felt even more daunting if it had included the following part of the overall footage.

The never-before-seen part of the underwater sequence could have revealed how challenging it must have been for Ethan Hunt to enter the submarine, making his mission seem even more impossible. However, this footage was cut out during the editing process for creative reasons. Through an audio commentary by Christopher McQuarrie playing along with the scene, he reveals his reasoning behind this decision.

"We had become so efficient shooting underwater. We were able to get extra material of Tom trying to get into the submarine, having difficulty accessing it, in case, later, we wanted to create a sense of pressure. And again, Tom was checking his dive computer, and the audience saw this ticking clock [which is] something that's very common in Mission: Impossible [movies]. And in this movie, it just didn't work."

He further added,

"This [part of the scene] was [conceived] to create a sense of difficulty for Ethan. Again, loved all of it, but as we were putting the movie together, we just decided that we didn't need it."

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning showed Ethan Hunt potentially on his last mission

Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible- The Final Reckoning (Images via YouTube/Paramount Pictures)

Tom Cruise may have carried Ethan Hunt's legacy for nearly three decades, but he may have reached the very end of his journey with Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. The IMF operative began his journey in the establishment to lead a life away from his criminal past. He was introduced through a high-risk mission where he was accused of being a mole from the organization.

Years later, Ethan stands much farther from those early-career hiccups that defined who he would end up becoming. Throughout this journey, Ving Rhames' Luther Stickell stayed by his side. Simon Pegg's Benji Dunn joined them in one of their earliest missions, which placed him firmly in Ethan's key squad for years to come.

In Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, Ethan fought what may have been the most challenging operation of his entire career. He had to deal with an AI entity that was capable of doing things that no human may ever achieve in their lifetime. Unlike Gabriel or the nations across the globe, Ethan was concerned about letting it fall into responsible hands in order to secure humanity's fate at large.

In this journey, Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, and Ving Rhames were joined by a string of talented cast members. Hayley Atwell was present as Grace, who can even carry forward Ethan's legacy in case the franchise gets revived in the near future. Pom Klementieff was also in the team as Paris, and so was Greg Tarzan Davis's Theo Degas.

The returning cast also included Henry Czerny as Agent Eugene Kittridge, Shea Whigham as Jasper Briggs, Angela Bassett as President Erika Sloane, and Rolf Saxon as CIA Analyst Williams. After the theatrical release on May 23, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning will soon be available on digital platforms to rent or purchase from August 19, 2025.