Paramount is marketing Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning as Ethan Hunt’s last chapter. However, the leading man doesn’t want the franchise to end.
It seems that Cruise and distributor Paramount are not on the same page when it comes to the future of the Mission: Impossible franchise. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount plans to market The Final Reckoning as the final Mission: Impossible installment. But Cruise is determined to keep the franchise alive. Based on Bruce Geller’s classic 1966 TV series, the film franchise debuted with the first Mission: Impossible movie in 1996, directed by Brian De Palma. Since then, six more installments have been released, with the latest being Dead Reckoning Part One (2023).
Paramount may have several reasons for not continuing the Mission: Impossible franchise after The Final Reckoning. However, we believe we know some of the most significant ones. First and foremost is the franchise’s escalating budget. The last installment, Dead Reckoning Part One, was produced on a massive budget of $291 million, which significantly reduced its profit margin for Paramount and Skydance. To make matters worse, Paramount released the film in theatres just a week before the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon took the world by storm. Now, The Final Reckoning reportedly carries an even higher budget of $400 million—an amount that seems excessive, even when factoring in Tom Cruise’s star power.
Paramount’s decision to market the upcoming Mission: Impossible entry as the final one makes sense, as the studio aims to boost the movie’s hype and maximize its profit share, alongside Skydance’s. With a staggering budget of $400 million, The Final Reckoning will need to earn at least $900 million to $1 billion globally just to break even—a challenging feat, considering the highest-grossing Mission: Impossible entry, Fallout (2018), earned $791 million worldwide.
Another important factor to consider is Tom Cruise’s age. The actor is now 62 years old. Despite his unwavering commitment and dedication to performing death-defying stunts, it’s clear that he cannot continue making Mission: Impossible movies indefinitely. At some point, he will need to step away from the franchise. The Final Reckoning seems like the perfect opportunity to conclude Ethan Hunt’s story satisfyingly, especially given the high stakes facing the iconic IMF agent.
It will be interesting to see what happens to the Mission: Impossible franchise after The Final Reckoning, which is scheduled to premiere on May 23, 2025. Stay tuned for more updates.
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