This article was originally published on ActioNewz.com.
In Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, Ethan Hunt and his allies set out to take on the A.I. Entity, a program that's hellbent on wiping out humanity. It's the IMF agent's biggest, most dangerous mission yet, and also his last if the marketing campaign is to be believed.
After Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One underperformed, Paramount Pictures decided that the best way to boost interest in the sequel would be to promote it as Hunt's farewell. The movie is eyeing the biggest domestic debut in the franchise's history, so it seems the decision paid off.
Is this really the end for Ethan, though? Cruise was reportedly unhappy with Paramount for suggesting Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning concludes his time as the character, and the actor has since signed a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to produce and star in new movies for them moving forward.
That alone would make a return to the Mission: Impossible franchise pretty tricky for Cruise.
We'll be sharing a full breakdown of The Final Reckoning's ending later this week. However, we can tell you that Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt does NOT die in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.
Instead, he reunites with his friends, the Entity in hand, with the stage set for him to continue protecting the world. Whether we get to see those missions or not remains to be seen, but with this movie's budget said to have ballooned to upwards of $400 million, a back-to-basics approach might be needed next time around.
Asked during a recent carpet interview whether this is it for him, Cruise said, "They don't call it final for nothing. For me, it's never goodbye. It's like, 'We'll see you again.' Do you know what I mean? It's like we're there, and I just have a lot of joy in making the movie."
“I actually said I am going to make movies into my 80s; actually, I am going to make them into my 100s. I will never stop," he added. "I will never stop doing action, I will never stop doing drama, comedy films, I am excited."
You can rewatch the latest Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning trailer below.
"Our lives are the sum of our choices. Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning," reads the brief synopsis for the movie.
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning stars Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Mariela Garriga, Henry Czerny, Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer, Nick Offerman, Hannah Waddingham, Angela Bassett, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Charles Parnell, and Frederick Schmidt.
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning arrives in theaters on May 23, 2025.