In Mission: Impossible 8, it is likely that Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt will retire and become an IMF boss. While the seventh installment in the Mission: Impossible series is scheduled for release in late 2022, Mission: Impossible 8 has been delayed to 2023, due to the pandemic and probable script rewrites. While the plot details of the seventh installment are scant, viewers can expect fresh characters, such as Hayley Atwell’s Grace and Vanessa Kirby’s White Widow.
Mission: Impossible has been one of the longest-running action-spy franchises, helmed by Cruise, who keeps upping the ante via his incredibly gutsy stunt work with each subsequent installment. The evolution of Ethan Hunt from being an IMF point man to a prized asset for the organization is an enthralling one, a journey marked by several tests of faith, personal loss, and betrayal. However, this did not stop Hunt and his team from taking on increasingly high-stakes missions, something one can expect to continue in the upcoming sequels.
However, the Mission: Impossible 8 theory that Ethan Hunt will retire fits in well with the franchise from a narrative perspective, as it is time to round off Hunt’s arc in a fitting manner. Moreover, as the eighth installment might as well be the franchise’s last, it is possible that director Christopher McQuarrie will take that route. Here are some of the reasons why this theory has validity, especially in terms of Ethan’s legacy within the franchise.
Mission: Impossible 8 Will See Ethan Retire From The Field
While Mission: Impossible 7 will most likely follow Cruise as Hunt assuming an active role, as usual, given the outrageous stunts involved in the filming process, the eighth installment could have him eventually retire and assume the role of the new IMF Secretary. The reasons for the same could be multifold – for one, both Cruise and Hunt’s character will be over 60 by the time MI:8 comes out, and it would make logical sense for Hunt to assume the role of a mentor-like figure as opposed to an ever agile field agent. While Cruise could definitely continue doing his own stunts, it is likely that he would pass over the torch to someone else before the franchise ends, or simply continue being associated while taking on a different role, allowing fresher narratives to blossom.
Tom Cruise’s Ethan Could Become Mentor To The Next IMF Team
Cruise’s Ethan assuming the role of a mentor will not be a new storyline within the franchise, as the plot line of Mission: Impossible 3 saw a glimpse of him training recruits after briefly retiring from fieldwork. As this storyline has not been fully fleshed out, it would be the perfect premise for Mission: Impossible 8 to do so, as the narrative can naturally lead to Ethan re-evaluating his priorities and playing a much more subtle role in training a fresh-faced protégé, or even the next IMF team. This outcome could be a direct outcome of the events in Mission: Impossible 7, wherein Ethan’s old IMF boss, Kittridge, is set to return, raising the possibility of a mission connecting back to his past, and the need to shift roles in order to gauge the status quo within the larger scheme of things.
As the IMF is prone to being compromised, as seen in the first Mission: Impossible with regards to Jim Phelps, is it possible that history repeats itself, exposing Ethan to the haunting events of the past once more? It is probable that Ethan would assume the role of secretary or mentor within the organization, allowing him more insight into the deeper sociopolitical implications in the murky world of international espionage, exposing him to facets of the job unbeknownst to him as a field agent.
However, having said this, the problem with Cruise taking the backseat within a franchise so intensely synonymous with him could cause disinterest among audiences. Finding another actor who is able to match up to his high-velocity dedication that suits the central character so well is easier said than done, and it is most likely the best decision to have Hunt assume a mentor role as the narrative of the franchise ends once and for all.
Ethan Becoming IMF Boss Links To Rejected Ghost Protocol Ending
Interestingly, this Mission Impossible 8 theory holds ground when measured against Ghost Protocol’s alternate ending (which was eventually rejected), in which Hunt becomes the new IMF secretary to pass the torch to a different franchise lead – Jeremy Renner’s William Brandt. While this decision was made by Paramount at the time with the intention of transitioning to a new lead for profit purposes, the global success of Ghost Protocol reaffirmed Cruise’s vital presence within the ambit of the Mission: Impossible franchise.
Per Collider, Ghost Protocol cinematographer Robert Elswit revealed that the original ending of the film involved Cruise overseeing a new IMF unit, most probably led by Renner’s Brandt. This, obviously, did not transpire, thanks to McQuarrie’s rewrites, which ensured that Cruise’s Hunt continued his adventures as the formidable IMF spy. Keeping this in mind, it is not too outlandish to believe that the Mission: Impossible 8 would end with Hunt retiring and becoming an IMF boss. Although whether the torch is passed on to a fresh face is a whole other question, that needs to be weighed against a plethora of factors.