Tom Cruise has effectively retired from playing Ethan Hunt, at least for now, in the Mission: Impossible franchise. There have been no definitive talks of another film happening after Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, and it’s become more unlikely with the actor looking for new opportunities, including returning to dramatic work.

In recent months, I’ve come to mostly accept the fact that this was probably the end of Mission: Impossible as we know it. Cruise had a legendary 29-year run partnering with some talented directors who worked with him to deliver thrilling adventures and death-defying, practical stunts. There didn’t seem to be a reason to come back beyond the monetary gains.

My perspective has completely changed overnight thanks to a recent interview with Paul Thomas Anderson. Cruise famously starred in his 1999 movie Magnolia, earning a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. That remains the only movie they’ve made together, but PTA told French newspaper Le Figaro he would have loved to direct one of the Mission: Impossible films.

I would have loved to, but I never received his phone call. I was very disappointed. I think he’s done with Mission: Impossible, so it’s not going to happen.

While all the directors who worked on previous Mission: Impossible movies put their stamp on the series in exciting ways, the possibility of what a PTA-directed installment would be like is fascinating. I can’t stop thinking about it, and hopefully, it becomes an obsession for Cruise too.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s Interest Makes Mission: Impossible 9 A Must For Tom Cruise

Prior to his new film, One Battle After Another, PTA has never done a project that is even remotely close to the scale and genre of a Mission: Impossible movie. It would have seemed ridiculous to suggest him as a director on one of those installments. Such a thought would have brought laughter from most without these comments.

Anderson is known for his powerful, personal dramas that are typically award contenders. Without any prior indications that he had an interest in tackling action, I can’t blame Cruise for not picking up the phone to see if PTA would want to jump aboard the spectacle-driven blockbusters. He also probably thought the guy responsible for Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood would quickly say no.

But, now that Anderson’s interests are known, Cruise should do everything in his power to make this pairing happen. It would be exciting to see the two work together again all these years after Magnolia, regardless of the project. The reunion coming in Mission: Impossible would be unexpected but undoubtedly excellent.

Anderson has emphatically proven his skills translate to action thrillers with One Battle After Another, as critics have raved about the film, giving it a 98% Rotten Tomatoes score. One of the film’s many highlights is a car chase in the third act that shows a glimpse of what the director can do with action.

While I haven’t seen it yet, my mind still races with what he could pull off with a certifiable action star like Cruise involved. Not only could we get elaborate, practical set pieces like never before, but they could be some of the most visually stunning or emotionally poignant that the franchise has done under Anderson’s care.

Cruise has remained non-committal about the Mission: Impossible franchise’s future after The Final Reckoning. It could be tough for him to return to the series without Christopher McQuarrie at the helm, but no one would fault replacing him with one of the greatest modern American directors.

He could help elevate the series to new heights, and likely help Cruise nail down a completed script before starting production, while the actor can push the director out of his comfort zone to do an even bigger movie than One Battle After Another.

Returning to the franchise after The Final Reckoning‘s ending in general could be a risk, but that’s one worth taking when it’d mean putting Anderson in charge. He’s the type of bold filmmaker who could breathe new life into Mission: Impossible and maybe even give Cruise a more widely celebrated final installment.

If there was ever a worthy excuse to make more Mission: Impossible movies, this is it. Who knows if it will happen, but I sure hope Cruise makes Anderson’s wish come true.

Mission: Impossible

Created by

Bruce Geller, David Koepp, Steven Zaillian, Robert Towne, Christopher McQuarrie, Tom Cruise

First Film

Mission: Impossible

Latest Film

Mission: Impossible – ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Reckoning

Upcoming Films

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

First TV Show

Mission: Impossible

Latest TV Show

Mission: Impossible

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