Is Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One really the last ride for Ethan Hunt? Well, if you’re hoping for one more impossible mission… or maybe even a few more after that, here’s some good news straight from the man himself.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter , Tom Cruise made it clear: yes, this is the final chapter — at least according to the title. But don’t start writing his cinematic obituary just yet.

Two years ago, Cruise was inspired by Harrison Ford’s career and said he’d keep making Mission: Impossible films well into his 80s. Now, he’s gone full-on action legend mode:

“I said I’d be doing movies until I’m 80 — truth is, I’ll still be making them when I’m 100. I can’t stop. I will never stop doing action movies, dramas, comedies — whatever the script calls for.”

And honestly, who could argue with that?

From Risky Business in the ‘80s to Rain Man in the ‘90s and beyond, Cruise has always been more than just an action star. But it’s the Mission: Impossible franchise that truly turned him into a global icon of stunt-based cinema — often performing jaw-dropping stunts with zero CGI help. Broken leg? No problem. Underwater scenes that nearly left him hypoxic? Just another day on set. Oh, and did we mention he jumped out of a flipping airplane mid-flight?

Even director Christopher McQuarrie got dragged into one of the most intense stunts — literally flipping through the air alongside Cruise.

“I’ve received so many levels of reward — from directors, crews, different cultures we’ve worked in,” Cruise reflected. “Everything I’ve learned about storytelling, life, leadership, character development, filmmaking — it’s all been extraordinary. I feel incredibly lucky to do what I do, and I love every second of it.”

As for the new film, Mission: Impossible 8 promises one last globe-hopping, adrenaline-fueled race against time. This time, Ethan Hunt faces off against a dangerous AI program called The Entity — capable of predicting his every move and potentially plunging the world into chaos if it falls into the wrong hands.

Early reviews are already calling it a near-perfect send-off for Hunt, with an 86% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Owen Gleiberman from Variety praised the film for bringing fresh energy to the series:

“While Dead Reckoning has its ambiguous moments, it’s the most thrilling entry since Ghost Protocol . It finds a bold new way to make the impossible feel inspiring again — not with fake masks or digital illusions, but real-time, split-second decisions under insane pressure.”

The cast includes returning stars like Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham, Henry Czerny, Greg Tarzan Davis, Mariela Garriga, and Indira Varma, along with newcomers Esai Morales and Hannah Waddingham. Also onboard: familiar faces like Janet McTeer, Holt McCallany, Katie O’Brian, Nick Offerman, and Tramell Tillman.

The movie hits Ukrainian theaters on May 22 , and fans better get ready — because judging by Cruise’s energy, this might not be the end after all.

Speaking of budgets, Mission: Impossible 8 reportedly cost around $300 million to make — partly due to delays caused by the Hollywood strikes when only 40% of filming was complete. Its predecessor, Dead Reckoning Part One , pulled in $567 million worldwide but still left Paramount with a reported loss of over $200 million.

And while the dust hasn’t settled on Mission: Impossible , Cruise is already eyeing other projects — including Top Gun 3 and a sequel to Days of Thunder . Right now, he says, it’s all about brainstorming ideas.

So whether you call it obsession, passion, or just plain insanity — Tom Cruise isn’t slowing down. And as long as there are cameras rolling and scripts worth reading, he’s not going anywhere.

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