At long last “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” hits theaters this Memorial Day weekend. But will the film be, as its subtitle suggests, the swan song for the storied action franchise? Star Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie played coy about the possibility to Empire in a new interview. And their responses to that question?
Well, Cruise’s was barely definitive. “You gotta see the movie,” laughed the actor, who wouldn’t divulge what character Ethan Hunt’s “final reckoning” might be. “It’s a hard thing for me to discuss at the moment, because it really is something that you have to experience.” But Cruise did promise that “The Final Reckoning” is “an epic, emotional journey of the the entire franchise,” going as far as to call it “homeric.” That means, in the least, more callbacks to previous franchise installments like “Dead Reckoning.” But does it mean an end to the franchise entirely?
On that note, McQuarrie’s answer is a little more revealing. “It is, I hope, the satisfying conclusion to a 30-year story arc,” said the director. “I’m pretty confident that people are going to feel that the title was appropriate.” Again, that doesn’t confirm if M:I 8″ will indeed wrap up the series, but it at least concludes Ethan Hunt’s trajectory throughout the series. So maybe that means Cruise will hand the reins of the franchise to someone else for later installments?
That’s not really Cruise’s style, but the actor, now 62, can’t do death-defying stunts for these films forever. “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” also stars Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, and Esai Morales. Pom Klementieff, Mariella Garriega, Holt McCallany, and Hannah Waddingham also star. The film’s ensemble Nick Offerman, Janet McTeer, Angela Bassett, Shea Whigham, and more.
Whatever happens, “The Final Reckoning” will be one of the blockbuster events of the year. But will the hype live up to its hefty $400 million price tag? You’ll have to find that out, and whether or not this truly is Ethan Hunt’s last mission, when the film hits theaters on May 23.
