Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoningwas largely sold on it being the end of theMission: Impossiblefranchise, but I’m convinced that won’t be the case after a recent update. Indications that the eighth film would be Tom Cruise’s last as Ethan Hunt date back several years. The announcement that the seventh and eighth films would film back-to-back raised my eyebrows, as that’s a move typically saved for franchise finales in Hollywood. Then there were reports thatMission: Impossible 8would be Cruise’s last, and that seemed a lot more likely withThe Final Reckoning’s title reveal.
After all, the movie’s marketing repeatedly used Ethan asking audiences to trust him"one last time,“which further suggested this would be his concluding adventure. I was not entirely convinced that this would be the case, though. TheMission: Impossiblemoviesare massive for Cruise and Paramount, and there are different reasons why both parties would want more: box office receipts for the studio, and fame and comfort for the star. OnceThe Final Reckoning’s endingleft the door open for more, I felt that there would be another, and an update on the movie has only emboldened my view.
Christopher McQuarrie Is Already Teasing “Another Movie” For Mission: Impossible
Through A Cut Final Reckoning Scene
To me, one of the most surprising revelations so far about the movie is thatThe Final Reckoningcut a post-credits scene. Longtime franchise director/writer Christopher McQuarrie confirmed that there was a plan to include a coda at the end of the movie originally. The plan was scrapped by Cruise, who wanted the movie’s ending to remain unchanged. Interestingly, when McQuarrie was asked about what the scene would have included,he said,“I’m not going to say because it could end up in another movie.”
McQuarrie’s phrasing here is notable, especially when considering the context of it being a scrapped post-credits scene. On the surface, saying the idea could be in"another movie"is vague enough that he could mean it will be used in a different film unrelated toMission: Impossible. That’s not what it sounds like when you think about how this would have been a scene at the very end ofThe Final Reckoning. It is difficult to imagine how a credits scene to this story would work with a completely separate universe or characters.
As a result, it becomes clear that McQuarrie is referring to another movie in theMission: Impossiblefranchise.The Final Reckoning’s credits scene surely would have set up the next chapter in Ethan Hunt’s story.Mission: Impossible 9must be the other movie that McQuarrie is teasing that could still utilize the idea for the scrapped tag scene.
The Final Reckoning’s Cut Post-Credits Scene Indicates McQuarrie Has Ideas For Mission: Impossible 9’s Story
Ethan Can Return Again
The fact that McQuarrie is choosing to keepThe Final Reckoning’s cut post-credits scene contents a secret is notable too. This heavily implies that he knows exactly whatMission: Impossible 9’s story will be. It also suggests the nextMission: Impossiblemovie is already in a strong position and possibly even in early development. If McQuarrie truly thought thatThe Final Reckoningwas the end forMission: Impossibleand another movie wouldn’t happen, there would be no reason to keep the scrapped credits scene a secret.
His comments give me the belief that he already has a general idea forMission: Impossible 9. That makes sense based on previous comments he’s made, too.Ahead ofMission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning’s release in 2023, McQuarrie teased thatMission: Impossible 8wouldn’t be the end, even if that was the plan at one point. He said,“There’s always a plan, the plan always changes.“This immediately gave me some optimism thatMission: Impossible 9would happen, but that was beforeThe Final Reckoning’s marketing really sold this film as the end.
It seems that the plans for the franchise changed as The Final Reckoning unfolded, paving the way for an idea for Mission: Impossible 9
It seems that the plans for the franchise changed asThe Final Reckoningunfolded, paving the way for an idea forMission: Impossible 9that has excited the director and star. Perhaps that is why there were those reports thatCruise was hesitant to marketThe Final Reckoningas the lastMission: Impossiblemovie. He and McQuarrie seemingly know what they want to do next with this world and could have set it up in a post-credits scene if they wanted.
I Won’t Be Surprised If Mission: Impossible 9 Is Confirmed Sooner Than Expected
Especially After Its Box Office
Now knowing that there was a planned post-credits scene forThe Final Reckoning, I have no doubt in my mind that McQuarrie and Cruise are talking about making anotherMission: Impossiblemovie. The director has been planting seeds about this for two years. While there may have been a belief that it was all a smokescreen to distract audiences from the impending finality ofThe Final Reckoning, I’m now convinced that he was telling the truth.
WithThe Final Reckoning’s box officeperforming at franchise-best levels, it may only be a matter of time beforeMission: Impossible 9is confirmed. Cruise is working on several other projects that should come first, includingTop Gun 3, but official reports can come confirming that anotherMission: Impossiblemovie is happening. Audiences have been very receptive toMission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, so announcing the franchise’s continuation would be smart. Doing so within the next year would align with the development timeline for these last two films too, and helpMission: Impossible 9come sooner than later.
