For well over a quarter-century, the Mission: Impossible franchise has served as a vehicle for some of the most iconic movie moments and unforgettable Tom Cruise stunts, which seem to only get more ridiculous with each new movie. With Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning in the rearview mirror, we have our sights set on the latest entry in the series with Mission: Impossible 8, which was originally called Dead Reckoning Part 2.
We don’t know a whole lot about the specifics of the eighth Mission: Impossible movie when it comes to its story, but there’s a lot we already know about its release date, cast, and what to expect when it comes to the stunts that will surely leave us with dropped-jaws for years to come.
What Is The Mission: Impossible 8 Release Date?
Unless there are major changes to its release plan, Mission: Impossible 8 will open in theaters on May 23, 2025, a little less than two years after its predecessor, according to Variety.
We shouldn’t, however, overlook the fact that the franchise's next chapter has already had multiple release dates come and go over the years due to delays brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the domino effect it had on the entertainment industry.
What Is Mission: Impossible 8’s Story?
No one involved with the project has revealed what exactly will go down when Mission: Impossible 8 opens on the big screen, but it will more than likely pick up some time after the Dead Reckoning ending, which left Ethan Hunt and company on a collision course with Gabriel (Esai Morales) and the mysterious entity. At the same time, Grace (Hayley Atwell) announced her plans to join the Impossible Mission Force, which seems to mean she and Ethan will be working together once again. Exactly when and where the movie picks up is anyone’s guess at this time.
Is There A Mission: Impossible 8 Trailer?
There isn’t a trailer for Mission: Impossible 8 at this time, and we probably won’t see any type of teaser for quite some time as production hasn’t yet wrapped on the latest entry in the spy-action franchise. However, it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see the trailer drop later in 2024, maybe with the release of the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3, another high-profile Paramount Pictures release.
Tom Cruise Leads The Mission: Impossible Cast Of Returning Stars
The Mission: Impossible 8 cast is stacked, even by the franchise’s standards, meaning we’re going to be seeing the return of some iconic characters from over the years, including Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt. Let’s catch up with these familiar faces…
Tom Cruise (Ethan Hunt)
Nearly 30 years after first playing on-the-run IMF agent Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible, Tom Cruise is back in action in the upcoming eighth movie in the franchise. But this isn’t Cruise’s only high-profile project, as he’s also in talks for a Top Gun 3.
Ving Rhames (Luther Stickell)
It’s hard to imagine a Mission: Impossible movie without Ving Rhames’ Luther Stickell, and luckily we won’t have to make that a reality as the prolific hacker will be back by Ethan’s side once again. Now we just need to find out where he went in Dead Reckoning.
Simon Pegg (Benji Dunn)
Simon Pegg’s Benji Dunn has been the premier tech guy for Ethan Hunt’s IMF team for the better part of the past two decades, and he’ll once again be a part of the team when Mission: Impossible 8 opens.
Hayley Atwell (Grace)
Grace, played by Hayley Atwell, quickly made a name for herself in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning and it looks like she’ll be a major aspect of the upcoming movie as well.
Vanessa Kirby (Alanna Mitsopolis)
Alanna Mitsopolis, aka, the White Widow, is one of Vanessa Kirby’s most interesting characters, and we haven’t seen the end of her just yet. The character, who was introduced in Mission: Impossible – Fallout, will once again be part of the story.
Henry Czerny (Eugene Kittridge)
Henry Czerny’s Eugene Kittridge ended Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning with some unfinished business, meaning the returning character from the first film will once again be back up to his old games in the eighth installment.
Esai Morales (Gabriel)
Unlike a lot of the Mission: Impossible villains, Esai Morales’ Gabriel survived his encounter with Ethan Hunt in Dead Reckoning, meaning the crafty henchman for the Entity will be coming back for more in the next movie.
Pom Klementieff (Paris)
Just months after playing Mantis for potentially the final time in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Pom Klementieff introduced a new and more vicious character, Paris, in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning. And while it seemed like the skilled assassin was going to perish in the movie, it looks like she’ll be returning for more action according to Simon Pegg’s Instagram.
The Mission: Impossible 8 Cast Will See Some New Additions
The Mission: Impossible movies have carried on the stories of the franchise mainstays over the years, but each installment has also added some new faces into the fold. That will once again be the case with the upcoming eighth installment.
Hannah Waddingham
Hannah Waddingham is one of the biggest new additions to the franchise, though it hasn’t been revealed who the Ted Lasso alum will be playing. Waddingham’s involvement was revealed by Deadline back in March 2023, right around the time the Apple TV+ series’ final season was about to kick off.
Holt McCallany (Secretary of Defense Bernstein)
In July 2022, Deadline revealed that Holt McCallany, who would go on to star in The Iron Claw, had joined the Mission: Impossible 8 cast as Secretary of Defense Bernstein. This is the latest high-profile role for the Mindhunter star.
Nick Offerman (Joint Chiefs Of Staff Chairman Sydney)
Parks and Recreation alum Nick Offerman will also be joining the Mission: Impossible 8 cast, in which he will play Joint Chiefs Of Staff Chairman Sydney. During an August 2022 appearance on the Light the Fuse podcast (via ScreenRant), Offerman said his character was “IMF adjacent.”
Janet McTeer
Janet McTeer will appear in Mission: Impossible 8, director Christopher McQuarrie revealed in a since-deleted August 2022 tweet (via Collider). However, it is not yet known who the Tumbleweeds and Albert Nobbs actress will be playing.
Lucy Tulugarjuk
Inuit actress Lucy Tulugarjuk is also joining the Mission: Impossible 8 cast, according to Empire. However, her character’s identity has not yet been revealed.
Production Kicked Off In 2022 But There Have Been Delays
Back when Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning and the eighth film were being developed, the plan was to have the movies shot back-to-back. However, several different factors prevented that from happening, and Paramount Pictures decided in February 2021 to change those plans, per Deadline. In March 2022, The Hollywood Reporter announced that principal photography had started on Mission: Impossible 8, but this too would not be without its own setbacks and delays.
Following a break, Tom Cruise and company took the Mission: Impossible 8 shoot to a United States aircraft carrier off the Italian coast in March 2023. However, with the impending release of Dead Reckoning and the promotion tour supporting it, production was temporarily halted in June 2023. This was followed by the biggest delay of them all when the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes brought the entertainment industry to a standstill that summer. There has been no official word on when production will resume or how much of the film is left to be shot.
Mission: Impossible 8 Will BMission: Impossible 8 Won’t Be The End Of The Franchisee A Send-Off For Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt
Though there was a time when it seemed like Mission: Impossible 8 would be a send-off for Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt and the concluding chapter of the franchise, this no longer appears to be the case. Back in February 2022, Variety reported that the plan was for the final two movies in the franchise to serve as a send-off for Cruise’s character, but nearly a year-and-a-half later in June 2023, Christopher McQuarrie told Fandango (via Fandango Twitter) that it wasn’t the end and that he and his team had some ideas for what comes next. What exactly comes next is a mystery at this time.
Christopher McQuarrie Has Teased Mission: Impossible 8's Stunts As Being ‘Outrageous’
From the start, the Mission: Impossible franchise has been one that continues to up the ante when it comes to its stakes and stunts, and it seems like the eighth installment will be no different. When speaking with Empire in June 2023, Christopher McQuarrie hyped the movie as well as one of its stunts, which he described as being “outrageous:”
Tom and I are always trying to get the big shit out of the way first. South Africa was intense. The aerial sequence is… [pause] It’s just outrageous. The thing to remember as you’re watching this monster [a.k.a. Part One] is that another monster waits behind it.
6 Mission: Impossible Missions Ranked On How Impossible They Really Were
McQuarrie stopped short of revealing what the action sequence entails, but going off what we saw in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (as well as the earlier movies), this is going to be nuts.
Only time will tell what will happen with Ethan Hunt’s story in Mission: Impossible 8, but regardless of what happens, it’s safe to say it’s definitely going to be one of the biggest 2025 movies. While we wait for more information, now would be a good time to go back and watch the Mission: Impossible movies streaming.
