Tom Cruise Dodges MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE Franchise Future Talk at Cannes, Says Just Enjoy THE FINAL RECKONING
Tom Cruise made an appearance during a Cannes Film Festival masterclass with his Mission: Impossible partner-in-chaos, Christopher McQuarrie, and while the crowd might’ve been hoping for news on the franchise’s future, Cruise wasn’t about to spill anything.
Cruise told the audience, dodging speculation that Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning might be Ethan Hunt’s last mission:
“I’d rather just people see it and enjoy and we’ve had an amazing time doing it and it’s been a lot of fun and I just want you all to enjoy it. Enjoy this and know everything is the culmination has come to this moment right now.”
The masterclass itself centered largely around the state of cinema, with McQuarrie taking aim at streaming’s impact on theatrical moviegoing.
“Streaming is in danger of driving that into extinction. I’m not sitting here to advocate for [streaming] because I’m a diehard believer in the big-screen experience… however many hundreds of strangers have all come together to sit in a room and watch something together and experience something together.”
The duo also discussed the unique dynamic of their creative partnership, one built on mutual trust, storytelling instincts, and an unshakable desire to push the limit. Cruise said: “He doesn’t just write for me. He’s able to come in and write for the actor.”
The two also dove into the franchise’s roots in old-school filmmaking, and how The Final Reckoning deliberately channels that legacy. Cruise explained:
“It goes back to silent movies. When you’re looking at this film, you’re going to feel how the close-ups are used with the characters.”
Of course, no Mission: Impossible conversation is complete without talking stunts, and Cruise once again reminded everyone why he’s cinema’s most daring action star. McQuarrie recalled:
“Tom said, ‘I want to be zero G in between the wings of the plane. And these people who do this for a living and are part of a decades-long tradition, said, ‘No, you’re not going to do that.’ And Tom said, ‘Thank you for your time.’ And we went on to some other people.”
Cruise made it clear, he doesn’t do “no.” He explained:
“Don’t ask permission to do it. Just do it. So, don’t wait till everything’s perfect because it’s never going to be perfect. Movies aren’t perfect. People aren’t. Life isn’t perfect. But you want to go at it, and it’s better to do it.”
And fear isn’t even a part of the equation.
“I’ve always felt, you know, I don’t mind kind of encountering the unknown, and I like the feeling. It’s just an emotion for me. It’s something that is not paralyzing. It doesn’t bother me. People can be quite frightened about the unknown, and I never have been.”
McQuarrie closed out the session with a shot at the cutthroat nature of modern Hollywood, calling for more collaboration and less box office rivalry.
“One of the problems with contemporary cinema… it has become about who crushes whom. Tom Cruise is competing with no one but himself. He understands, and together we understand, that nobody wins unless everybody wins.”
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning hits theaters globally on May 23. Whether it truly is Ethan Hunt’s last hurrah? Cruise isn’t saying… but for now, he's asking us to just buckle up and enjoy the ride. And it’s one hell of a wild ride!
