Why The Mission: Impossible Franchise Cannot Work Without Tom Cruise

It is hard to imagine that Mission: Impossible and Tom Cruise, two names that are so intrinsically linked, could work separately. However, Mission: Impossible 7 and Mission: Impossible 8 are reportedly Cruise’s last two films as the fearless agent Ethan Hunt. Having lasted over 20 years without ever losing its charm, the M:I franchise is a reminder that successful action movies can still exist outside of superhero IPs and could serve as an example to other studios of keeping a series of movies going strong.

Initially planned to premiere in 2021 and 2022, Mission: Impossible 7 and Mission: Impossible 8 had to be delayed due to the pandemic and are currently set to release in 2023 and 2024. Although the original plan to shoot both films simultaneously was scrapped due to the COVID-19 restrictions, Mission: Impossible 7 & 8 are expected to be two parts of the same story that will serve as a culmination of Ethan Hunt’s journey. Started as an interesting but simple spy film, Mission: Impossible has evolved into an action franchise colossus and one of Hollywood’s most successful series.

The news that Tom Cruise will leave the role of Ethan Hunt after Mission: Impossible 7 & 8 places a huge question mark on the franchise’s future. The actor has been the face of Mission: Impossible ever since its beginning in 1996 and has become essential to the franchise not only in terms of the story but also in the entire making of these films. Cruise has served as producer all the way from Mission: Impossible to Mission: Impossible 8, and his collaboration with Universal and, more recently with director Christopher McQuarrie are some of the main reasons why the franchise has managed to stay successful for so long.

Cruise has also become essential to the ever-growing scale of the Mission: Impossible movies. Thanks to his unparalleled dedication to the action movie genre, Tom Cruise is always pushing his own limits and thus elevating the franchise at the same time. The anticipation of what the next life-threatening stunt from Tom Cruise will be has become one of Mission: Impossible’s main selling points, and the films have yet to disappoint in that matter. Whether climbing a skyscraper or jumping out of a plane at 25,000 feet over 100 times, Tom Cruise has helped Mission: Impossible live up to its name.

It would not be the first time that Mission: Impossible has tried to move the focus away from Ethan Hunt. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol introduced Jeremy Renner as William Brandt in what appeared to be a future leading role. Although Renner did come back for Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, the character never had the expected reception and is no longer part of the series.

Mission: Impossible would never have gotten as far as it did without Tom Cruise and most likely will not be able to continue beyond the actor. As both an actor and producer, Cruise has consistently elevated the franchise in ways that have always surprised audiences. If Mission: Impossible 7 and Mission: Impossible 8 are really the end of Ethan Hunt’s story, then they should also be the end of the Mission: Impossible saga.

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Marcelo Leite
(221 Articles Published)

Marcelo Leite is a senior writer for Screen Rant with years of experience in creative and academic writing. Although his chosen field was structure engineering, there is nothing he likes better than writing about the things he loves.

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