The filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie discusses major character deaths, the end (or is it?) of an action-movie franchise and what comes next.

Tom Cruise ’s quest to become America’s most death-defying stuntman continues to pay off. The Oscar-nominated actor has spent the last couple of decades primarily focused on his action-packed “Mission: Impossible” films — and just set a Guinness World Record for one of the most daring stunts in the series.