Mission: Impossible is an American series of actionspy films, based on the 1966 TV series created by Bruce Geller. The series is mainly produced by Tom Cruise, who plays Ethan Hunt, an agent of the Impossible Mission Force (IMF). The films have been directed, written, and scored by various filmmakers and crew, while incorporating musical themes from the original series by Lalo Schifrin.
Starting in 1996, it follows the missions of the IMF's main field team, under Hunt's leadership, to stop an enemy force and prevent an impending global disaster. The series focuses on Hunt's character, and like the television series' structure, is complemented by an ensemble cast, such as Luther Stickell (played by Ving Rhames) and Benji Dunn (played by Simon Pegg), who have recurring roles.
The series has experienced a generally positive reception from critics and audience. It is the 16th-highest-grossing film series of all time, earning over $4.35 billion worldwide,[1] and is often cited as one of the best action franchises to date. The sixth film, subtitled Fallout, was released on July 27, 2018, and is currently the series' highest-grossing entry. The seventh film, Dead Reckoning Part One,[b] was released in July 2023, and the eighth[3] film, The Final Reckoning, had its theatrical release in late May 2025. The films are co-produced and released by Paramount Pictures.
Ethan Hunt is framed for the murder of his Impossible Mission Force (IMF) team during a botched mission in Prague and accused of selling government secrets to an arms dealer known only as "Max". On the run, Ethan seeks to discover the real traitor and clear his name from the incident.
Ethan Hunt goes back in action and works with a professional thief Nyah Nordoff-Hall (Thandiwe Newton). The duo go undercover to stop rogue IMF agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) (who is also Nyah's former lover) from stealing a deadly virus, starting a pandemic and selling the antidote to the highest bidder.
Ethan is engaged to Julia Meade (Michelle Monaghan), who is unaware of his true job. He assembles a team to face the elusive arms and information broker Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who intends to sell a mysterious dangerous object known as "The Rabbit's Foot".
Ethan and the entire IMF are framed for the bombing of the Kremlin while investigating an individual known only as "Cobalt" (Michael Nyqvist). Ethan and three other agents are left to stop Cobalt from starting a global nuclear war.
Ethan Hunt comes under threat from the Syndicate. Faced with the IMF's disbandment, Hunt assembles his team for their mission to prove the Syndicate's existence and bring the organization down by any means necessary.
When an IMF mission to recover plutonium goes wrong, the world is faced with the threat of the Apostles, a terrorist group formed by former members of the Syndicate. As Ethan Hunt takes it upon himself to fulfill the original mission, the CIA begins to question his loyalty and his motives.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)[b]
An AI called the Entity is responsible for the sinking of the next-generation Russian submarine Sevastopol. The Entity has since gone rogue and entrenched itself into cyberspace; the secret to stopping or controlling it lies with the key, which Ethan Hunt and the IMF must track down, as various world powers and nefarious forces race to obtain the key in order to use the Entity for their own purpose.
Two months later, Ethan Hunt and the IMF, joined by new allies, continue to search for the Entity, aiming to destroy it before it can trigger a nuclear apocalypse.
Future
In June 2023, Christopher McQuarrie stated that Dead Reckoning Part One and The Final Reckoning would not end the series, as there are developments for future installments.[5] In July 2023, during promotion for Dead Reckoning Part One,[b] Cruise expressed interest in continuing to make further films in the series as Ethan Hunt, despite both films having previously been billed as a send-off to the character.[6] Inspired by Harrison Ford's continued success in the Indiana Jones films, Cruise stated that he would like to keep making Mission: Impossible films until he is likewise in his eighties.[7] Nevertheless, in May 2025, during the New York premiere for The Final Reckoning, Cruise confirmed that the film would be his final film in the series, stating "The film is the final! It’s not called 'final' for nothing".[8]
Recurring cast and characters
List indicators
This section includes characters who have appeared in the Mission Impossible film series.
An empty grey cell indicates the character was not in the film.
A indicates an appearance through archival footage or audio.
C indicates a cameo role.
P indicates an appearance in onscreen photographs.
The Mission: Impossible film series has received positive reviews from critics and audiences, with Ghost Protocol through Dead Reckoning Part One[b] attracting significant praise directed towards their direction, cinematography, stunts, action sequences, performances, and musical scores.
Critical and popular reception of Mission: Impossible films
The television version is in a rarely used 5 4 time (an unusual time signature with five crotchets to a bar) and is difficult to dance to,[37] as was demonstrated by a memorable segment of American Bandstand in which teenage dancers were caught off-guard by Dick Clark's playing of the Lalo Schifrin single release.
For Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.'s version featured on the first film's motion picture soundtrack, the time signature was changed to standard pop 4 4 time to make it more dance-friendly, although the intro is still in 5 4 time.[37] The Limp Bizkit song "Take a Look Around" from the soundtrack to the second film was set to a similar 4 4 modification of the theme, with an interlude in 5 4.[citation needed]
Notes
↑ Known as Skydance Productions for the fourth and fifth films.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Retroactively retitled Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning upon release on streaming platforms.[2]
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