Chloé Zhao Reportedly May Direct MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 9 - "Tom Cruise Sought Her Out"
Just when you thought the IMF might be clocking out for good, a new rumor says Ethan Hunt could be gearing up for another mission.
Even though Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning has been positioned as the grand finale of the franchise, chatter online suggests Tom Cruise isn’t done yet. And if the latest report holds up, he may have found a very interesting filmmaker to carry the torch.
According to DeuxMoi, the anonymous celebrity gossip account, an email was recently shared that “was submitted anonymously and can not be verified,” but it claims that “Chloe Zhao is in talks to write/direct [Mission: Impossible 9]. Tom sought her out, they’ve workshopped a treatment, script is underway.”
If that’s accurate, it’s a pretty fascinating pivot.
Zhao, who won an Oscar for Nomadland, also stepped into blockbuster territory with Eternals for Marvel Studios. The Phase 4 MCU film centered on immortal beings stepping out of the shadows to defend Earth from the Deviants.
While Eternals divided audiences, it delivered some cool visuals and large-scale action, without losing her artistic touch.
She also recently directed Hamnet, which was an incredibly well made film that I loved. She also directed the pilot for the upcoming Buffy the Vampire Slayer sequel series at Hulu.
Still, let’s be clear. This is a rumor, and DeuxMoi openly admitted the submission can’t be verified. So take it as intriguing smoke, not confirmed fire.
If Cruise did personally seek Zhao out, though, it would say a lot about where he sees the franchise going next. Up until 2018, Mission: Impossible was known for rotating directors with each installment. Brian De Palma, John Woo, J. J. Abrams, and Brad Bird each brought their own flavor to the series before Christopher McQuarrie took over with 2015’s Rogue Nation.
McQuarrie became the first director to handle back-to-back entries when he returned for 2018’s Fallout, and he ultimately stayed on through 2023’s Dead Reckoning and 2025’s The Final Reckoning. It’s hard to imagine the franchise moving forward without him.
Bringing in Zhao would mark the first time since 2015 that a new director stepped into the franchise. It would also bring back that creative handoff energy that helped shape the series into what it is today.
The idea of Zhao blending her grounded, human storytelling style with Cruise’s high-wire stunt madness is interesting. Imagine an IMF mission filtered through her cinematic lens. That could feel very different from what we’ve seen before, and maybe that’s exactly the point.
For now, Mission: Impossible 9 remains unconfirmed. But if Cruise is already workshopping ideas with Zhao, Ethan Hunt’s next impossible mission might not be so impossible after all.