MovieChat Forums > Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015) Discussion > Will this franchise be able to keep goin...

Will this franchise be able to keep going once Cruise leaves the role?

posted 8 years ago by sarizonana
16 replies | jump to latest

Im not saying he will retire anytime soon but when he decides it's time to move on from MI, do you think the franchise will be able to keep going without him and having a new Ethan Hunt just like the Bond franchise?

I think they will, they always work with standalone missions, new villains and different woman so when Tom decides to say goodbye they will just have to look for an actor with his charisma to keep going just like EON did in the 70s when they had to replace for good Sean Connery.

I really enjoy Tom Cruise in this franchise but i am intrigued in the MI future after him. He will stay for a very long time and unlike Craig there haven't been any rumors about him leaving its just an hypothetical question.

[–] atso-suopanki 8 years ago

Sure, the franchise can keep going without Cruise. They wouldn't recast the role, though. Unlike Bond, Ethan Hunt isn't an iconic character and he can always be replaced with another agent.

[–] sarizonana 8 years ago

Maybe not as iconic but he still very popular so i think people could accept a new Ethan but they could also go with a whole new agent and mention just in the first one Ethan retired.

[–] atso-suopanki 8 years ago

Yeah, Ethan doesn't have decades of history attached to him like Bond. The character wasn't part of the old tv shows. Sure, the movies are popular and Cruise does a great job in them, but I don't think people care enough about Hunt to want to see any other actor portray him. Just create a new character for a new actor.

[–] sarizonana 8 years ago

Now there is a risk in changing the main character that people might not care anymore if it doesn't have its well known lead like The Bourne films, the last one without Jason floped but MI is slightly a different case since it has proved people like it for more than Ethan.

They love the gadgets, the great stunts and the good stories, so maybe after Tom Cruise leaves we could have a new main character with a different name.
But Mission impossible has legs to continue for many years to come and one day will be celebrating a 50 years anniversary. Even though it has it's similarities with Bond it still has its differences which make it great.

[–] puschit-1 8 years ago

I agree that MI has a better setup to replace the main character, however, as you said one of the draw is the great stunts. Cruise happens to be one of the very few actors that does most of his stunts himself and agrees on doing so with as few camera tricks as possible. And it shows. It's hard to replace an actor like this. In fact, do you know any actor besides him and Jackie Chan that do stunts on a crazy level like this by themselves? Or that are able to drive vehicles like them, for that matter?

I never really liked Tom Cruise but I have to admit that he is a damn good actor and crazy in the good way of crazyness (sans the Scientology part). So, I'd say the franchise might live on without Cruise but they'd better replace the entire character with someone else and find a gimmick for that character that makes up for the loss in aunthenticity regarding stunts.

[–] sarizonana 8 years ago

So true Tom Cruise stunts are unbelievable and people do love knowing he does most of his stuff. Right now i don't know about anyone who could replace Cruise but im sure when its is needed they will look carefully who to cast.

And if the stunts are not so good with the next actor they will have to compensate it with something else. Just look at Bond : we have had some of the guys better st doing their own stunts than others.

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[–] DextroCardia-XX 8 years ago

I'm sure it will, even though Cruise does a great job. I would prefer that he didn't age. But IMF has been around since the 80s, but not Ethan Hunt.

Who would've thought Jim Phelps was replaceable? And like someone else pointed out, Hunt isn't the iconic character as Bond is, and even he is replaceable. They wouldn't recast the role though, only a new character.

[–] SarahKSeraSera 8 years ago

Actually the original IMF series was 1969 to 1973. The original lead was played by Steven Hill-Daniel Briggs (L&O) the first season, then Peter Graves-Jim Phelps the remainder of the series.

As for Ethan Hunt, its not a character like Bond. Create a new character, younger & still an IMF agent.

The first MI movie with Cruise was in 1996

[–] deadpixel128 8 years ago

I think they'll be fine. I also don't see Cruise leaving the series outright anytime soon. He'll probably stay on as the new Secretary, acting like M in the Bond movies.

[–] goldpink23 8 years ago

I'm not looking forward to a Mission Impossible movie without Tom Cruise in the lead.I like Tom and I like him as Ethan Hunt.I think if they're planning on doing another movie,then that should be the last Mission Impossible movie.They should end the franchise while it's still positively received by most professional critics.I doubt they will be able to keep getting these extremely high ratings from so many critics if they decide to keep the franchise going much longer.I think they should end it on a high note.

[–] ubcool 8 years ago

depends who they replace him with. there are plenty of new big name draws like chriss Pratt, chriss hensworth , chris evans all with lots of draw and charisma. now the movies have dumbed down and turned into generic teenage action movies you dont even need really need a a great actor with cruises dramatic chops , just big stunts, and a few funny gags.

[–] jkono29 8 years ago

Yeah those three guys definitely have CHaRISma.
😊

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[–] KingBrian1 8 years ago

Heck no he is a big part of why the franchise is so popular and he plays a good spy. The role suits him down to the ground. I only wish the scripts he appears in were as good as MI & MI3.