Mission: Impossible 8has been officially titledMission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, which could mean big things for the Tom Cruise spy franchise. It was initially announced thatthe seventh and eighthMission: Impossiblemovies would be shot back-to-backas a two-part finale for the series. Both films would be written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, and they would be titledMission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part OneandMission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two. McQuarrie is still on board to write and direct the eighth film, but the rest of those plans have changed significantly in the past few years.
SinceMission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Oneunderperformed at the box office, Paramount has been downplaying the two-parter aspect. It wasn’t a total flop, but it grossed far less than its predecessor,earning $570,619,838 against its $291 million budget(viaBox Office Mojo). So, Paramountremoved the “Part One” fromDead Reckoning’s titlein its streaming and home media releases and confirmed that the eighth movie would receive a new title. Now, that title has finally been revealed —Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning— and it seems to suggest a definitive conclusion to the story.
What The Final Reckoning Means
Ethan Hunt’s Past Could Come Back To Haunt Him
The tantalizing subtitleThe Final Reckoninghints at what could be in store forthe plot ofMission: Impossible 8.The word “final,” of course, refers to the last entry in a sequence, which could mean this will be the finalMission: Impossiblemovie, or at least the final chapter in its current run. The second word, “reckoning,” is a bit more specific about what the story could entail.A reckoning is when one’s past misdeeds catch up to themand they face some kind of vengeance or punishment for them.
A reckoning is when one’s past misdeeds catch up to them and they face some kind of vengeance or punishment for them.
Mission: Impossible 8could see Ethan Hunt’s past coming back to haunt him.It would be appropriate for the final chapter of Ethan’s journey to look back into the pastand show his chickens coming home to roost. As a government-sanctioned killer who’s been carrying out secret black-ops missions for decades, Ethan has made a lot of enemies and has a lot of skeletons in his closet. The subtitleThe Final Reckoningsuggests this will be the dramatic focus ofMission: Impossible 8; it won’t just be another case-of-the-week story.
Mission: Impossible 8’s new title finds the perfect middle ground between connecting to the previous film and forging a path of its own. Paramount wanted to change the next movie’s title because fewer people went to seeDead Reckoning Part Onethan they’d hoped. IfDead Reckoning Part Onewasn’t seen by a huge audience, then a movie calledDead Reckoning Part Twowould likely face a similar fate, since people who missedPart Onemight feel like they wouldn’t be able to followPart Two.The Final Reckoningassures those viewers they don’t need prior knowledge to follow it.
I Don’t Want Mission Impossible 8 To Be Tom Cruise’s Final Movie As Ethan Hunt For One Simple Reason
Mission: Impossible 8 should not be the end of Tom Cruise’s time in the franchise if it wants to continue into the future with the same success.
But it still ties intoDead Reckoningby reusing the word “reckoning.”The Final Reckoningisn’t abandoning the lingering plot threads fromDead Reckoning; it’ll still be the second part of that story.It will pick up whereDead Reckoningleft off, with Ethan embarking on a mission to find the Sevastopol and destroy the Entity. The “final” part of the title suggests there won’t be aDead Reckoning Part Three— this one will complete that story.
Does Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning’s Title Mean The Franchise Is Ending?
The Use Of The Word “Final” Is A Distinctive Choice
The use of the word “final” inthe title ofMission: Impossible – The Final Reckoningis definitely a distinctive choice, so is this the end of theMission: Impossiblesaga? The finality of the title could mean a few things. It could just refer to the final reckoning against the current villain, Esai Morales’ Gabriel, who’s confirmed to reappear in the new movie. It could beset up as Ethan’s final adventure. IntheMission: Impossible 8trailer, Ethan tells his colleagues, “I need you to trust me… one last time.”
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoningis set to be released in theaters on June 11, 2025.
Even if it’s Ethan’s final outing, it probably won’t be the lastMission: Impossiblemovie ever made. The property is too lucrative for Paramount to let it go andthere are plenty of characters who could take the baton from Cruise — Jeremy Renner’s William Brandt was introduced for that exact purpose— but it will likely be the end of the current iteration of theMission: Impossiblefranchise.Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoningmight be similar to howAvengers: Endgamewasn’t the end of the Marvel Cinematic Universe; it was just the end for Robert Downey, Jr.’s Iron Man.
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
Cast
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning follows Ethan Hunt and his team as they pursue a formidable AI called the Entity that has compromised global intelligence networks. With new allies and a haunting figure from Hunt’s past in pursuit, they must act quickly to avert a global catastrophe.
