Following the release of "Mission: Impossible", the question lingers: What lies ahead in Hollywood's action genre?
Redefined and Restructured Version
Ethan Hunt's visceral escapades in the long-running Mission: Impossible series, after almost three decades, take a probable epilogue with The Final Reckoning. The question on everyone's lips now is: "Who's next?". The series has held this anticipation over the years, in various forms.
Tom Cruise, the series' undisputed heart, has expressed an unwavering dedication to these movies, evident in his death-defying stunts. Longtime fans may remember the rumors about Jeremy Renner as the potential new lead when he joined the cast as William Brandt for Ghost Protocol. Thankfully, neither that nor the studio's alleged hopes ever materialized. Instead, Cruise has shared the spotlight since Ghost with talented co-stars like Rebecca Ferguson, Hayley Atwell, and Henry Cavill. Each actor, even Cavill until his villainous revelation, seems to have been a silent audition of sorts, testing their mettle against the iconic Ethan Hunt.
It's challenging to deny that the writers may have subtly nudged us towards possible candidates to take over as the lead character, if needed. Regardless of their intentions, the likelihood of a new protagonist stepping in is reasonably high. Perhaps they'll engage in more hand-to-hand combat and gunfights, while Ethan continues to deliver death-defying stunts. Final Reckoning has already set a precedent for this saw-toothed approach.
The series consistently builds upon its predecessors, so perhaps this structure could serve as a viable template if Cruise is determined to guide these films until his body dictates otherwise.
Alternatively, Cruise has struck a deal with Warner Bros. to develop and produce films, including an Alejandro González Iñárritu-directed project and potentially an Edge of Tomorrow sequel. This could potentially enable Paramount to keep the Mission: Impossible franchise going in Cruise's absence, giving audiences time to miss the legendary Ethan while becoming invested in a fresh set of characters. Then, when he returns, it could create a powerful legacy sequel, akin to Top Gun: Maverick.
If that doesn't happen, we may witness a new crop of action-spy movies emerge in the coming years. Genres like this have experienced a void, especially following the lack of a Black Widow film. The action and espionage genres have traditionally been male-dominated, but female-led films like Mission might fill that space. Other big franchises on the brink, like Jason Bourne and James Bond, have been quiet on their next moves. With such a vacuum, any actor or director could have the opportunity to make a mark in the action-spy world.
Recently, several actors seem to have caught the action bug. Following his directorial debut with last year's Monkey Man, Dev Patel's next project is the medieval action-thriller The Peasant. Simu Liu has his sights set on a Sleeping Dogs movie, leveraging his Shang-Chi training, and Florence Pugh convinced Disney to let her perform a daring stunt in Marvel's current hit Thunderbolts.
The focus on practical stunts in these films speaks to a growing desire among modern actors to immerse themselves in the action and deliver authenticity. Cruise himself has advocated for younger actors to study old movies and even created separate boot camps for his respective Final Reckoning and Top Gun: Maverick costars. Audiences are also inclined to check out a movie in theaters if it appears worthwhile and feels 'real', which action movies tend to excel at. The question remains if studios will seize the opportunity to deliver those genuine, tangible thrills.
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- The future of the action-spy genre might see a significant shift, with upcoming movies and TV shows potentially filling the void left by the pause in franchises like Jason Bourne and James Bond.
- Tech-savvy actors like Dev Patel, Simu Liu, and Florence Pugh are demonstrating their action prowess, indicating a possible influx of authentic and immersive action-spy movies in the near future.
- With the longevity of successful franchises such as Mission: Impossible and Edge of Tomorrow serving as examples, it is plausible that IO9 and Gizmodo might discuss potential new action stars and their upcoming movies in the future of entertainment.
