Despite rumors, Tom Cruise suggests that Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two won’t be his last, effectively teasing Mission: Impossible 9 as he praised Harrison Ford’s longevity in the business. The veteran actor reprises his iconic role as Indiana Jones in James Mangold’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. This supposedly marks Ford’s final outing as Indy, and his peers are in awe at what he’s able to do in his career, including Cruise.
Speaking with SMH, Cruise praises his industry predecessor, calling him a “legend” and citing what he has done throughout the decades as Ford bids goodbye to Indy. Ahead of the release of Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, Cruise also floats the idea its sequel won’t be his final outing as Ethan Hunt. Read his full quote below:
“Harrison Ford is a legend; I hope to be still going; I’ve got 20 years to catch up with him. I hope to keep making Mission: Impossible films until I’m his age.”
Why It Will Be Difficult To Continue Mission: Impossible Without Tom Cruise
After the release of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the summer 2023 blockbuster season will continue with Christopher McQuarrie’s Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One. The film will see Cruise as Hunt in the seventh installment in the famed spy franchise. Beyond that, the actor is already confirmed to return in the sequel, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two, which is slated to release next year.
Considering the title of the next two Mission: Impossible films, there have been rumblings that Dead Reckoning Part Two will function as the final installment in the franchise. Unlike Cruise’s Top Gun series, it’s more difficult to move the universe forward without Hunt at the center of its storytelling. From the get-go, Hunt has been the universe’s anchor, and there hasn’t been a clear indication that Paramount is setting up a successor who can take over the franchise if he decides to retire the role.
Aside from being the face of the franchise, Cruise is also integral in making the Mission: Impossible movies’ signature stunt work. The actor has been vocal about not wanting to subject other actors to the same training and risks that he go through to play Hunt. Given how widely successful the franchise is, it’s welcome news Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two won’t be Cruise’s final outing as the famed spy, with Mission: Impossible 9 becoming a possibility