Hollywood's Action Genre: Where Does It Head After 'Mission: Impossible'?
"Cruise Control" or "The Impossible Mission Ahead": Exploring the Future of Tom Cruise's Action Empire
After three decades, countless on-screen deaths, and jaw-dropping stunts, the epic saga of Ethan Hunt and the Mission: Impossible franchise is rumbling towards a close with The Final Reckoning. The question on everyone's lips is, "what's next?" That question has loomed over this blockbuster series for years, and in various forms.
Tom Cruise is the lifeblood of this series, and over the years, he's proven his unwavering dedication to these action-packed movies. Long-time fans will remember that this vow was a direct response to rumors that suggested fellow actor Jeremy Renner might step into the role when Cruise decided to hang up his spy gear. Those whispers never came to fruition, but from Ghost Protocol onward, Cruise has seen new faces take to the screen as co-leads, like Rebecca Ferguson's Ilsa Faust, Hayley Atwell's Grace, and Henry Cavill's August Walker.
Each newcomer, even Cavill until his villain reveal, seems to be a nod from the writers towards possible candidates to carry the torch should Cruise decide to retire. The chance of a new protagonist joining the fold feels imminent, maybe with the established cast assuming support roles, leaving Cruise to the death-defying stunts he's famous for.
Once Ethan gathers his crew, he separates from them to investigate a shipwrecked submarine via a deep-sea diving stunt, while his comrades clash with Russian special forces on St. Matthew's Island. This series is renowned for building upon its predecessors, so a similar approach could be the future if Cruise is determined to lead these films till his body decides otherwise.
Alternatively, Cruise now has a deal with Warner Bros. to create and produce films. This could pave the way for Paramount to keep the Mission: Impossible franchise going without Tom Cruise, giving audiences time to miss Ethan, while getting invested in new or returning characters. When the time is right, a proper event can unfold, akin to Top Gun: Maverick, ending with a blockbuster sequel that restores Ethan Hunt to the hall of action legends.
Alas, if that doesn't materialize, we might witness a flurry of action spy movies in the coming years, reminiscent of the woman-fronted films that attempted to fill the void left by a missing Black Widow. The Mission: Impossible series stands among the last of the big action franchises, alongside Jason Bourne and James Bond, both of which may see new films in the works. In the meantime, the action genre is more angular than ever, with several stars bit by the action bug, like Dev Patel, Simu Liu, and Florence Pugh, who recently leaped off a skyscraper for a thrilling stunt in Marvel's Thunderbolts.
These newcomers, alongside others, are eager to immerse themselves in the world of hands-on, practical action, and Cruise has been a vocal advocate for this approach, even offering boot camps for his costars. A focus on realistic, bone-crunching action has always been one of the franchise's greatest strengths, and a new generation seems to be taking its lessons to heart. Whether studios will give them the opportunity to deliver those heart-pounding, raw thrills remains to be seen.
Stay tuned for updates on upcoming films, including Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, the DC Universe, and more Doctor Who adventures. The world of action is just warming up.
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Potential Future Directions for the Mission: Impossible Franchise
As Tom Cruise continues his commitment to the Mission: Impossible movies, the future of the franchise is shrouded in possibilities and challenges. Key points to consider include:
Current Scenario:
- The Final Reckoning: Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning is intended to provide a satisfying conclusion to Ethan Hunt's story, while leaving room for future developments[1][2].
Box Office Performance:
- Success: The film has been successful, earning $450.4 million worldwide[1]. This success may encourage further franchise development.
Spinoffs:
- New Cast and Storyline: Director Christopher McQuarrie suggests that any spinoffs would need a unique cast and a distinct storytelling approach[1]. However, this proves challenging without Tom Cruise and the original team.
- Franchise Identity: The franchise's popularity is closely tied to its high-stakes action sequences and cohesive team dynamics, which would be hard to replicate without the original cast[1].
Expansion Potential:
- Audience Demand: The franchise's popularity and potential for continued demand could compel Paramount to find ways to keep the series going, potentially even without Tom Cruise[3].
- Alternative Approaches: The series could explore spinoffs with different protagonists, though this would require inventive storytelling and production techniques[1]. similar to John Wick.
- Gizmodo might discuss the potential for a Mission: Impossible spinoff, focusing on a new protagonist to carry the torch should Tom Cruise decide to retire, much like John Wick did.
- io9 could delve into the future of the action genre, exploring the impact on movies and TV if the Mission: Impossible series were to continue without Tom Cruise, potentially leaving a void similar to the one left by the absence of Black Widow in women-fronted films.
- In anticipation of the future of blockbuster action franchises, Movies-and-TV could examine the emergence of a new generation of action stars, such as Dev Patel, Simu Liu, and Florence Pugh, who emulate Tom Cruise's approach to hands-on, practical action featured in the Mission: Impossible series.
