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Mission: Impossible is better than James Bond, says Simon Pegg

Simon Pegg thinks the friendly competition between the Mission Impossible and James Bond franchises is good for both, but sides with Mission

Simon Pegg

Simon Pegg has given a lengthy interview to SohoHouse in which he discusses The Cornetto Trilogy, and very much does not discuss Tom Cruise. The only thing he could be drawn on is the Mission Impossible franchise more generally, and what Cruise doing his own stunts offers an audience.

At one stage, there were three similar action franchises – Bond, Mission, and Bourne – but unfortunately, Bourne seems to have fallen by the wayside. Discussing the friendly competition between the James Bond franchise and the Impossible Missions, Pegg said; “I think both films benefit from it immensely. Because I’m biased, I think Mission pips it a little bit, as everything you see, he (Cruise) does for real.”

“There are no stunt doubles for him. There’s a frisson you get when there’s authenticity: the idea that this guy is actually jumping off a cliff on a motorbike and deploying the parachute 100 feet from the ground? It puts the willies up you.” Cruise of course also pursued his intense need for speed, and authenticity, into Top Gun: Maverick too.

Regarding The Cornetto Trilogy, Pegg addressed the insatiable obsession with sequels; “It baffles me how there possibly could be a Shaun Of The Dead 2, because most of the main characters are dead. One of them is a zombie, in a shed… which would be boring. People still ask me, ‘When is there going to be a third series of Spaced?’ It was 23 years ago. I’m a 52-year-old man! Who wants to watch a sitcom about that?”

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part One is set for release on July 14, 2023, when Tom Cruise will be planning on saving cinema once more.

If you’re a fan of crazy stunts, check out our guide to the best action movies.