There he is again. Glen Powell. You just can’t escape him these days.
If “Mission: Impossible — The Last Reckoning” is indeed Tom Cruise’s last outing as Ethan Hunt, which he seems to deny, then he would most likely still hang on as producer and hand-pick his successor.
The InSneider is reporting that Cruise wants Glen Powell, whom he took under his wing on the set of “Top Gun: Maverick,” to replace him and steer the ship forward. Will it work? Who knows. Powell’s schedule frees up after he wraps production on Edgar Wright’s “The Running Man” in December.
Powell, 35, is everywhere these days. His success on “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Anyone But You,” and Linklater’s “Hitman” has opened up many doors for him. He recently led the summer blockbuster “Twisters,” and is set to star in upcoming new films from JJ Abrams, Edgar Wright, and John Patton Ford.
It had been previously reported that Paramount wanted to promote “The Last Reckoning” as the “final” entry in the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise as a way of boosting audience interest — Cruise has pushed back on this plan and warned the studio not to promote it as such.
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, Cruise had stated that he wanted to keep making ‘Mission: Impossible’ movies until he was Harrison Ford's age (80). Cruise just turned 62 years old on July 3, 2024.
“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.”
At the end of the day, Cruise’s future in the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise will probably depend on just how successful ‘The Last Reckoning’ turns out to be when it gets released in May 2025. The film cost close to $400M and, if that figure sticks, it would probably need to make $900M worldwide to break even.