If there’s one franchise that launched Tom Cruise’s fame to extraordinary heights, it is none other than the Mission: Impossible franchise. Then after, it made the actor famous and Cruise went on to make the franchise one of the most popular action sagas of all time.
However, after making so many happy memories together, Paramount reportedly seems to be contemplating replacing its Ethan Hunt.
While these rumors have been going on and on for quite some time now, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One was released in this midst, and brought about something extraordinary: a box-office record so bad it couldn’t even come close to those from the other films from the saga.
Despite that, this failure of the movie could prove to be a blessing in disguise for Cruise, who just might end up making one of his wishes come true through this!
Also Read: “It was confidential to me”: Glen Powell Casts Doubt on His Future in Tom Cruise’s Top Gun 3
How Mission: Impossible 7 Failing Is A Blessing In Disguise For Tom Cruise
Although Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One received worldwide acclamation from critics and fans alike, it failed to perform equally spectacularly at the box office, bringing in only $567.5 million on its budget of $291 million, as per Box Office Mojo.
One major reason behind this failure was it getting relegated to smaller screens for a long time instead of in bigger cinemas like IMAX (where it did air, but only for a short time), all thanks to its competitors, which were mainly Barbie and Oppenheimer.
Nonetheless, Mission: Impossible 7‘s commercial failure just might be a blessing in disguise for Tom Cruise, who was rumored of getting replaced by Paramount for the role of Ethan Hunt, as it proves one fact: If Cruise can’t do it, then no other actor can.
This is because the Top Gun alum is already one of the biggest hotshots in Hollywood right now. So if even his star power failed to make the seventh installment of the saga perform epically at the box office, then perhaps no other actor’s could either.
Moreover, this inevitably makes it a lot harder to bring in a replacement for the charming Jack Reacher star, judging from how Paramount was rumored to be in the works of considering other actors to fill in his shoes to expand the franchise amid Cruise’s signing a deal with Warner Bros. (as per THR).
Thus, if this truly comes to be and Paramount learns its lesson from this, then Tom Cruise just might be able to continue being the Ethan Hunt for the Mission: Impossible franchise as fans have to come to love him for; all the while fulfilling one of his heartfelt wishes as well.
Tom Cruise’s Dream Of Making MI Films For A Long Time Might Come True
Tom Cruise might be 61, but he isn’t in any hurry to stop performing his own stunts and amusing his audiences through it anytime soon. In fact, if anything, the actor wishes to continue making Mission: Impossible action movies until he’s at least Harrison Ford’s age.
While speaking with The Sydney Morning Herald at the Australian premiere of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One last year in July 2023, he expressed this same desire while complimenting the Indiana Jones legend, saying:
“Harrison Ford is a legend; I hope to be still going; I’ve got 20 years to catch up with him,” Cruise said. “I hope to keep making Mission: Impossible films until I’m his age.”
All in all, this statement makes it evident that Tom Cruise doesn’t want to be leaving the franchise anytime soon. And the recent failure of Mission: Impossible 7 further makes it a good idea for Paramount to let him stay.
