There's a lot of speculation about what the fate of Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt will be in cliffhanger ending of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning.

All the Mission: Impossible movies have been standalone, but The Final Reckoning will conclude the story that began in Dead Reckoning, which saw Ethan Hunt attempt to take down The Entity, an artificial intelligence program which could cause the collapse of society. Given the Mission: Impossible movie's dramatic title and the fact that Cruise has portrayed Ethan Hunt for nearly 30 years, many believe that The Final Reckoning will be his last film in the series. However, the story behind the title of Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning actually suggests that Ethan will not die in the movie.

“The Final Reckoning” Doesn’t Really Suggest Mission: Impossible 8 Will Be The Last One

The Title Of Mission: Impossible 8 Was Changed From Dead Reckoning Part Two

After 2018's Mission: Impossible - Fallout, it was reported that one more story would wrap up the franchise and be split into two movies. This is why the last Mission: Impossible movie was originally subtitled Dead Reckoning Part One. However, after the release of the first part, it was reported that the next Mission: Impossible movie would not be called Dead Reckoning Part Two. In November 2024, when the trailer for the Mission: Impossible movie was released, its subtitle of "The Final Reckoning" was revealed.

This is quite an ominous title, and suggests that The Final Reckoning could be the final movie in the series. However, this has not been confirmed. According to a report from The Final Reckoning could be the last movie, but it doesn't necessarily have to be.

Mission: Impossible’s Future Probably Depends On How The Final Reckoning Will Do

The Final Reckoning Needs To Be A Box Office Success

Even though Mission: Impossible is one of the most well-known franchises in the world, Dead Reckoning did not perform that well at the box office. After its summer 2023 release, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning made $571,125,435 at the worldwide box office (via Box Office Mojo). While this is a lot of money, the move had an estimated budget of $291 million. While it probably didn't lose money, once marketing costs were added on, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning likely made very little profit at the box office.

Dead Reckoning's underwhelming box office haul suggests that audiences are no longer interested in the Cruise-led spy franchise. Therefore, the future of the Mission: Impossible franchise probably depends on how The Final Reckoning performs at the box office. If it outperforms Dead Reckoning by a significant amount, then Paramount and Cruise will almost certainly want to make a ninth Mission: Impossible movie. The Final Reckoning's title change will probably help its box office haul, as the new, ambiguous title could lead to more people watching the movie in theaters.

Mission: Impossible 8 Cannot Kill Ethan Hunt If It Wants To Leave The Door Open For Sequels

Ethan Hunt Shouldn't Die In The Final Reckoning

Cruise has been the face of the Mission: Impossible franchise for decades. Therefore, it would be incredibly difficult to make a Mission: Impossible movie without him. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning introduced Hayley Atwell's Grace, who s the IMF at the end of the film. Since Grace is now an IMF agent, she is set up nicely to replace Cruise in the franchise. Additionally, Cruise has suggested that he would love to see his Top Gun: Maverick costar Glen Powell lead a future Mission: Impossible movie.

While these are both intriguing options, it is clear that the franchise wouldn't be the same without Cruise. If future Mission: Impossible movies are a possibility, then it would be a mistake to kill Ethan Hunt in The Final Reckoning. Killing Ethan would lead audiences to think that The Final Reckoning truly is the last film in the series. If Paramount ever wanted to continue the franchise without Cruise, the Mission: Impossible film that follows The Final Reckoning would be facing an uphill battle. Therefore, it would be much smarter for Ethan to survive the events of The Final Reckoning.

Ethan Dying In The Final Reckoning Would Only Make Things More Complicated For Mission: Impossible

Tom Cruise Deserves To Star In More Mission: Impossible Movies

Cruise has also claimed that he wants to continue making Mission: Impossible movies even when he's in his 80s. He mentioned that Harrison Ford made an Indiana Jones movie in his 80s, so Cruise doesn't see why he can't continue starring in the Mission: Impossible franchise. Over the course of many decades, Cruise has proven that he is perhaps the best action star of all time. Therefore, killing Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning would unfortunately make it practically impossible for Cruise to star in a future Mission: Impossible film without some kind of retcon.

If Cruise believes he has more Mission: Impossible movies in him, then it would be a mistake for Paramount to try to end the series.

Cruise still does his own stunts in the Mission: Impossible movies, quite literally risking his life to create the most action-packed films. Therefore, he deserves to have a say over the future of the franchise. If Cruise believes he has more Mission: Impossible movies in him, then it would be a mistake for Paramount to try to end the series. Therefore, even though the title of Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning suggests it could be the last film, it seems more likely that Ethan Hunt will actually survive, and future sequels will get made.

Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Box Office Mojo