Tom Cruise has been the face of the Mission: Impossible films for a long while now, but alas, every story will always have an end. As the franchise continues to march towards its future, finding a successor proves paramount, with recent rumours floating that Top Gun: Maverick star Glen Powell is Cruise’s top replacement choice.
Responding to the hearsay, ESPN commentator Pat McAfee called up the actor to address the matter on his show, only for Powell to shoot a tongue-in-cheek answer. “My mom would never let me do that,” he said, adding that the franchise is the “worst gig in town, everybody knows that.”
“That’s a death trap,” he continued before bursting into laughter, prompting the host to quip, “He’s lying!”.
While it’s all obviously in good-natured fun, there’s some truth to Powell’s statement. Cruise is known for performing many of the stunts in the Mission: Impossible movies himself, from hanging off the side of a moving plane and climbing the highest tower in the world to parachuting off a cliff after a blood-pumping motorcycle chase. More recently, the action star rappelled off the Stade de France during the 2024 Summer Olympics closing ceremony.
As for Powell, the 36-year-old is enjoying a popularity streak following his outing as Lt. Jake “Hangman” Seresin in Top Gun: Maverick. Since then, he has been cast in positively reviewed titles like Twisters, Hit Man, and Anyone but You, with The Running Man being his next project.
The eighth Mission: Impossible pic, titled The Final Reckoning, hits theatres on 23 May 2025. It picks up after the events of Dead Reckoning Part One, with a new trailer seemingly hinting at an end to the long-running franchise. However, it’s unclear whether that will be Cruise’s swansong as agent Ethan Hunt, considering his commitment to playing the role till 80 years of age.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Natalie
