Now that a few months have passed sinceMission: Impossible - The Final Reckoningwas released across the world, audiences have been able to make up their minds about whether another sequel in this long-running action franchise is really necessary. AlthoughThe Final Reckoninghad an underwhelming box office performance, there’s still plenty to enjoy about the sequel.
The film also proves whyMission: Impossibleneeds to stick to its word and not release another sequel.The franchise has reached the opportune moment where it can happily retirewithout worrying about untapped potential or unused ideas, with both audiences and executives happy about the state of the saga. Another sequel would just ruin this harmony.
7The Mission: Impossible Franchise Ended On A Downward Trajectory
The Previous Two Movies Weren’t The Series' Best
BothDead ReckoningandThe Final Reckoninghave many strengths (primarily their intricate stunt work and sharp character development), buttheir overarching narratives often felt underwhelmingin comparison to some of the saga’s earlier installments. This can be clearly reflected inThe Final Reckoning’s Rotten Tomatoes score, which currently sits at 80%.
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This would be an excellent score for any other franchise, but it sadly pales in comparison to movies likeFalloutandRogue Nation, which have scores of 98% and 94% respectively. The franchise was heading downhill, and anotherMission: Impossiblesequelwould merely run the risk of killing the franchise simply because it didn’t know when to stop.
6It’s Getting Harder For Mission: Impossible’s Stunt Work To Improve With Each Sequel
A Ninth Movie Would Have Higher Expectations Than Ever
Perhaps the main selling point of theMission: Impossiblefranchise (especially in the later sequels) was the stunt work, with Tom Cruise delivering some of the most dangerous and blood-pumping stunts ever put to film.Every sequel was clearly trying to outdo the previous oneand prove that there’s always a next step to take.
However, this obviously wouldn’t have been possible forever. Given just howdangerous some ofMission: Impossible’s set pieceshave been in the past, there’s only so much more danger that Cruise could take on before it starts to feel forced. There’s a certain suspension of disbelief that’s necessary forMission: Impossible, but a ninth movie would probably push this too far.
Ever sinceGhost Protocol,this franchise has struggled to replicate the grandeur and spectacle of the Burj Khalifa sequence. Set pieces like the motorcycle freefall inDead Reckoningand the burning parachute jump inThe Final Reckoningdefinitely get their money’s worth out of the stunts, but it certainly feels like Cruise would struggle to go any further.
5The Final Reckoning Wasn’t A Huge Box Office Success
According toBox Office Mojo,The Final Reckoningpulled in $578.7 million worldwide on a budget of upwards of $300 million, meaning thatMcQuarrie’s latest effort didn’t quite break evenwhen taking into account how much was spent on marketing and merchandise. This commercial downfall is one of the biggest red flags for a long-running franchise.
To compare, bothFalloutandRogue Nationmanaged $824 million and $710 million, respectively, proving thatit’s not just the critical reception that was going downhillforMission: Impossible, but the commercial one too. Ending withThe Final Reckoningmeans that the action franchise can plug the bleeding before really losing its touch.
While it’s true thatDead Reckoning’s box office performance was hindered by COVID restrictions during production, andThe Final Reckoning’s budget was ballooned by several subsequent delays, this isn’t quite enough to write off the commercial failure altogether. It would be very difficult for Paramount Pictures to justify another sequel when the previous two have been so underwhelming financially.
4Mission: Impossible Seems To Be Running Out Of Ideas
It’s clear thatMission: Impossible’s writers were having to reuse old ideas by the time the eighth movie came around. The focus on the Entity was a very fun addition to the previous two sequels that admittedly helped the story feel fresh, but there were countlessdetails inThe Final Reckoningthat audiences had seen before in these movies.
McQuarrie did a great job of coating these repeated tropes in a fresh story, but this would have grown more and more difficult with each passing sequel.
Whether that’s the looming threat of nuclear war, the repeated themes of teamwork and friendship, or Ethan once again saving the day in the final act, much ofThe Final Reckoningfelt familiar.McQuarrie did a great job of coating these repeated tropes in a fresh story, but this would have grown more and more difficult with each passing sequel.
AnotherMission: Impossiblesequel would require another international supervillain with world-ending plans, and there are only so many routes that Cruise and McQuarrie could take. The franchise has used nuclear weapons so many times, andartifacts like the Rabbit’s Foothave now been retconned as technological warfare, so the options for another sequel are very limited.
3Ethan Hunt Already Has The Perfect Ending
The Final Reckoning Gives Cruise’s Protagonist A Happy Conclusion
The Final Reckoningwas clearly intended to be the last movie in this series, and Ethan Hunt gets a very satisfying ending that anotherMission: Impossiblesequel would merely run the risk of ruining. Ethan becoming the Entity’s guardian allows him toescape death without escaping all the consequences of his actionsthroughout the years.
Hunt is the only person trustworthy enough to look after such a powerful artifact, and the eighth installment uses this to its advantage to definitively write him out of the story. Another sequel would simply ruin Hunt’s ending, retroactively makingThe Final Reckoning’s conclusion effectively pointless.
There havebeen discussions of potentialMission: Impossiblespinoffs or series that could focus on characters other than Ethan Hunt, but it admittedly feels like they would struggle to captivate audiences in the same way. Hunt is the crux of this story, and with his narrative effectively over, it wouldn’t make sense for the franchise to continue with new characters in the spotlight.
2Tom Cruise Has More Exciting Projects In Development
Cruise And McQuarrie Aren’t Going Anywhere
Though it can be argued thatMission: Impossibledoesn’t need Cruise to survive, the franchise’s marketing and publicity seem to suggest otherwise. Cruise is an integral part of this series, soanother sequel would almost necessitate his return,but the actor has so many exciting projects in the works that deserve to be made instead.
Cruise’s upcoming projectsinclude a sci-fi action movie directed by Doug Liman (and filmed entirely in space), a sequel to his 1990 sports classicDays of Thunder, and a third movie in his acclaimedTop Guntrilogy. These projects are filled with so much potential, whereasMission: Impossiblecertainly feels like it’s run its course by now.
1The Final Reckoning Was Clearly Marketed As The Last Mission: Impossible Movie
There’s No Going Back On The Decision Now
The most obvious argument against anotherMission: Impossiblemovie is thatCruise and McQuarrie have already stated, very publicly, thatThe Final Reckoningwill be the last entry. And it’s not just in the title; the entire story is about coming full circle and dealing with the sins of one’s past.
This subtext would be completely lost if anotherMission: Impossiblemovie was made, staining much of the grandeur that makesThe Final Reckoningso fun to watch. The marketing was very clear that it would be the last movie, and audiences would likely feel betrayed and manipulated if this didn’t end up being the case.
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoningis now available to rent or buy on demand.
