Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt Returns in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,’ Premiering May 23
Action fans, mark your calendars — Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning hits theaters on May 23, 2025, bringing Tom Cruise back to the big screen in one of his most iconic roles. This eighth installment in the legendary franchise is expected to be a high-octane send-off, though Cruise has yet to confirm if this will be his final mission.
Directed once again by Christopher McQuarrie, the film picks up where 2023’s Dead Reckoning Part One left off. Ethan Hunt and his IMF team are racing against time to retrieve a critical piece of rogue artificial intelligence hidden aboard a sunken Russian submarine. The stakes? Nothing less than the fate of the world.
Joining Cruise are series regulars Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Rebecca Ferguson, along with Hayley Atwell and a few fresh faces, including Hannah Waddingham and Tramell Tillman. Clocking in at nearly three hours, the film is said to be packed with heart-pounding action, emotional turns, and the elaborate stunts Cruise is famous for.
With a reported production budget nearing $400 million, The Final Reckoning is one of the most expensive entries in the franchise. It made its international debut in Tokyo on May 5 and stunned audiences at the Cannes Film Festival on May 14, where it received a five-minute standing ovation.
Despite the title suggesting a finale, Cruise hinted during a New York premiere event that he doesn’t plan on retiring from action films anytime soon. “I’m going to keep making movies into my 100s,” he told reporters.
Whether this is truly the last ride for Ethan Hunt or just another thrilling chapter, fans can expect The Final Reckoning to deliver everything they’ve come to love about Mission: Impossible — and maybe even a bit more.