Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, and here’s what he’s said about his future with the franchise after the eighth installment’s conclusive тιтle. Cruise has spent nearly 30 years playing IMF agent Ethan Hunt in Paramount’s franchise. The Final Reckoning brings the star back to his familiar role and again sees him risking his life as part of mᴀssive Mission: Impossible stunts. With the finality implied by the тιтle, Tom Cruise’s future in the franchise is up in the air.

Speculation about whether Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning will be the last entry in the franchise has existed since the film was first announced. That only increased upon the тιтle reveal and the culminating feeling of the first trailer. There were even rumors of him lining up another actor to headline future installments. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning‘s Super Bowl trailer still suggests it all could end. So, is this the end of Cruise’s tenure in Mission: Impossible, or will he be back for more movies? The star has weighed in about his future with the series.

The Final Reckoning Was Reported To Be Tom Cruise’s Exit From Mission: Impossible

Rumors Teased A Sendoff For Ethan Hunt

The potential for Tom Cruise leaving Mission: Impossible following the eighth installment was initially just a piece of speculation following Paramount’s announcement that the seventh and eighth movies would be made back-to-back in January 2019. Hollywood has made a habit of two-part franchise installments working as the conclusion of specific iterations of popular series like Hunger Games, Harry Potter, and practically Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Mission: Impossible taking a similar approach suggested the franchise could end or Cruise could exit the series after.

After a few years of speculation on the matter, reports surfaced in February 2022 that this could be the plan. This is when the first trade report came out that revealed Mission: Impossible 8 was planned as Cruise’s sendoff as Ethan Hunt. The report went a step further to suggest that this could be the final Mission: Impossible movie as well. From that point on, there has been a larger belief that the upcoming sequel could be the last one starring Cruise. Those feelings only escalated after The Final Reckoning‘s тιтle reveal.

Tom Cruise Has Said He Wants To Keep Making Mission: Impossible Movies After The Final Reckoning

He Suggested Possibly Playing Ethan Hunt Into His 70s

The reports that Tom Cruise’s run could end with Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning have yet to be confirmed. In fact, franchise director Christopher McQuarrie and Cruise have both downplayed that notion. McQuarrie suggested that the aforementioned reports were false during an interview in April 2022. Ahead of the release of Mission: Impossible – ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Reckoning, Cruise said that he wanted to keep making more Mission: Impossible movies, citing Harrison Ford’s longevity as Indiana Jones as something he wanted to emulate. That would suggest he could return after The Final Reckoning in some capacity.

As promotion for The Final Reckoning picked up, the star became a bit more cagey with his response when it came to discussing the franchise’s future. Tom Cruise’s response to Mission: Impossible ending with The Final Reckoning in February 2024 was, “It’s a hard thing for me to discuss at the moment, because it really is something that you have to experience.” McQuarrie’s tone also shifted a bit in the same interview, saying, “It is, I hope, the satisfying conclusion to a 30-year story arc. I’m pretty confident that people are going to feel that the тιтle was appropriate.”

Will Tom Cruise Return As Ethan Hunt After Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning?

The Franchise Star’s Words Are Impossible To Believe Either Way

There is currently uncertainty about Cruise’s future with the franchise, and nothing he says before the film’s release will change that. He can’t confirm if this will be the end for him, as that would spoil Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning‘s ending. That would also be the case if he were to announce that he was officially coming back for a ninth film. The franchise’s future has to be shrouded in secrecy for the time being, at least officially.

However, Cruise’s actions away from the Mission: Impossible franchise in the last few years indicate that he could really be preparing to step away. He has multiple new movies in development, including new potential franchises with McQuarrie involved, that could be used to help him fill the void left by not being in more Mission: Impossible movies. Even if Tom Cruise one day returns to play Ethan Hunt again in a future film, it does appear that The Final Reckoning could be it for him for now.

That would line up with suggestions about Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and Cruise’s desires for Ethan Hunt’s story. He’s said before he doesn’t want the IMF agent to die. That would indicate the eighth movie will end with Hunt still alive, but he could still step away from his world-saving missions for now. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning could wrap up Hunt’s story from the last three decades but still leave the door open for a return one day – even if that is not guaranteed.