The Mission: Impossible series is one of the best there is in all of action-spy-based movies. Acclaimed worldwide for its awestruck-ing stunts and breathtaking fight scenes, the lead Ethan Hunt, played by Tom Cruise, is also applauded globally.
However, with the upcoming release of the latest Mission: Impossible movie, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, recent reports have claimed that the Dead Reckoning duology might be the last in which Tom Cruise will portray Ethan Hunt.
Tom Cruise on Retiring from the Mission: Impossible Franchise
Tom Cruise is widely known for playing Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible series. His impressive stunts and first-class acting have made him quite the hot shot in the fans’ as well as critics’ eyes. Starring in the Mission: Impossible saga for more than 27 years, the 60-year-old actor is now said to retire from the franchise.
With the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One premiere ongoing, the actor was asked if the reports regarding his retiring from the franchise altogether are true or not. Responding to the claims, Cruise said,
“You know, I can’t tell you right now. I want to enjoy this moment right now, and it’s Part One and Part 2. This is a big action-adventure movie for everyone and I look forward to seeing it.”
While he did not repudiate the claims, Cruise did not affirm them either. So the question of whether he’ll be bidding farewell to the Mission: Impossible saga and to his globally acclaimed character Ethan Hunt still lies unknown.
Jeremy Renner Almost Replaced Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible series
While Tom Cruise remains the audience’s choice for playing Ethan Hunt, news reports show that Mission: Impossible franchise almost replaced Cruise with Marvel’s renowned Hawkeye-playing actor, Jeremy Renner.
As per reports, the Marvel star was supposed to replace Tom Cruise after Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. In the movie, Renner was cast for playing William Brandt and was held to be the next potential lead in the movie series, thus replacing Cruise as the new fresh face of the franchise.
However, thanks to Tom Cruise’s praise-worthy stunting ability, his stunt of mounting the tallest building in the world in Mission: Impossible 4 made him even more important for the role, thus eliminating any chance of the franchise replacing him with Jeremy Renner altogether.
Good thing that happened, for the audience has certainly been swooning over Tom Cruise playing Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible series.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is set to release on July 12, 2023.
Source: Entertainment Tonight
