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While Tom Cruise is still doing his stretches to prepare for the long and arduous process of alienating what's left of his fanbase during the run-up to Mission: Impossible 3, Paramount might be facing a more immediate PR problem for its coming blockbuster, as stuntman Steven Scott Wheatley is suing the studio (and a host of others involved in the movie, including Cruise/Wagner Productions) for burns he suffered during a botched explosion, which, quite sadly, involve a claimed loss of sexual function:

The lawsuit, which can be found on TMZ.com, describes how a stunt simulation of a missile attack on a Chevy Suburban was tested on June 6, 2005. In the film, the vehicle would then flip over and burst into flames. The Wheatleys allege that the proper safety precautions were not taken including making sure bystanders were at a safe distance, maintaining the equipment for the pyrotechnics, securing the area and keeping safety items such as fire protection suits and fire extinguishers at a close distance.

Instead, the stuntman, who was standing nearby, says that "suddenly, and without any prior warning, the explosives that were used for the stunt were detonated, causing a fireball" that engulfed his body, causing severe burns to over 60 percent of body.

As a result, the suit claim Wheatley's marriage "has been substantially disturbed ... including, but not limited to, the diminution or impairment of his ability to provide and/or engage in physical assistance in maintaining the home, love, affection, companionship, sexual relations, society and solace all to the detriment of his wife."

We haven't been able to figure out if the stuntman in question is one of the many Cruise doubles employed on the production; if that's the case and the matter goes to trial, we could be headed for a Being John Malkovichian scene of Cruise sitting at the defendant's table, watching the phalanx of dopplegangers hired to keep the star injury-free take the stand to testify against their famous counterpart.