Hollywood's Upcoming Action Agenda Following 'Mission: Impossible': A Look Ahead
Ready to dive into the thrilling world of action-packed espionage? After three decades and numerous unforgettable stunts, Ethan Hunt and the Mission: Impossible franchise seem to be headed towards an end with The Final Reckoning. But as they say, all good things must come to an end... or do they?
Tom Cruise is the epicenter of this captivating series, and he has repeatedly shown his unwavering dedication to these movies until his very last beat. Long-time fans might remember the whispers when Jeremy Renner was cast as William Brandt for Ghost Protocol - rumors swirling that he'd potentially take over as the leading man if Cruise decided to retire. Fortunately for us, that never happened; however, Cruise has had co-leads like Rebecca Ferguson's Ilsa Faust (from Rogue Nation), Hayley Atwell's Grace (Dead Reckoning), and Henry Cavill's August Walker (Fallout) by his side ever since.
These co-stars have repeatedly found themselves in spectacular action sequences, serving as potential contenders to succeed Cruise as the franchise's lead. Whether it was a deliberate move by the writers or merely a coincidence, many fans speculate that a new face could be taking over, with Ethan Hunt overseeing shootouts and fistfights while the newcomer handles gravity-defying stunts, a formula that The Final Reckoning already employs.
In this latest installment, Ethan assembles his team to undertake various missions. He splits off from his friends to explore a shipwrecked submarine, while they engage in a fierce battle against Russian special forces on St. Matthew's Island. This franchise consistently builds on its previous films, so if Cruise is determined to keep leading these movies until his body calls the shots, this might be the blueprint for the future.
On another intriguing note, Cruise has signed a deal to develop and produce films for Warner Bros., including a collaboration with Alejandro González Iñárritu and the potential return of Edge of Tomorrow. If permitted, Paramount could continue the Mission: Impossible series without Cruise for a couple of movies, giving audiences a chance to miss Ethan while embracing new or returning characters. Then, the stunning and momentous reappearance of Ethan could serve as a legacy sequel, much like Top Gun: Maverick did just a few years ago.
Should that not be the case, we might witness a new wave of action spy movies in the coming years, similar to the female-led films that tried to fill the void left by the lack of a Black Widow film until 2021. The Mission: Impossible franchise is one of the remaining big action franchises, with the likes of Jason Bourne and James Bond potentially working on new projects, albeit with no concrete updates yet. The Fast & Furious series lingers in the same sphere, although the upcoming release remains to be seen.
Curious stars are already getting bitten by the action bug: following his directorial debut with Monkey Man, Dev Patel's next project is The Peasant, a medieval action-thriller. Simu Liu has his sights set on a Sleeping Dogs movie, hoping to utilize his Shang-Chi training, and Florence Pugh even managed to convince Disney to let her perform a skyscraper jump for Marvel's Thunderbolts.
Pugh's commitment to practical work speaks to a growing hunger among actors to engage in real, strenuous action. Cruise has always championed the importance of proper training, even going so far as to create specialized boot camps for his casts in Final Reckoning and Top Gun: Maverick. The focus on practical work has been one of Mission's defining strengths, and many actors seem to be taking Cruise's teachings to heart. If studios are willing to grant these opportunities and allow for genuinely intense, realistic action sequences, audiences will undoubtedly flock to the theaters. Only time will tell whether they'll get the thrilling and gritty action sequences they crave.
With Marvel releases, Star Wars updates, and Doctor Who news around the corner, stay tuned to io9 for all the latest and greatest in the world of action-packed cinema!
(Enrichment Data:- Potential Actors to Play the Lead Role: 1. Jeremy Renner 2. Hayley Atwell 3. Glen Powell- Other Characters and New Actors: - Existing Characters: Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) - New Actors: Esai Morales or others introduced in Dead Reckoning- Potential Directors: Christopher McQuarrie, who has directed several successful films in the series- Franchise Continuation Strategies: 1. Soft Reboot 2. Spin-Offs)
- Should Tom Cruise decide to retire from the Mission: Impossible franchise, potential candidates to take over as the leading man include long-time co-stars Jeremy Renner, Hayley Atwell, and Henry Cavill.
- As the focus on practical stunts and intense action sequences has been a hallmark of the Mission: Impossible series, new actors like Dev Patel, Simu Liu, and Florence Pugh seem to be embracing Cruise's training methodologies, aiming to deliver realistic action scenes that will captivate audiences.
- If Paramount were to decide to continue the Mission: Impossible series without Cruise for a couple of movies, they might opt for a soft reboot or spin-offs, similar to the strategies currently being explored by Marvel Studios and Star Wars. Christopher McQuarrie, having directed several films in the series, could potentially lead future installments.
