The eighth installment in Tom Cruise’s action saga is set to release in May 2025, andMission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning’s final title is much more important than you might think. The upcoming feature will immediately followthe cliffhanger ending ofMission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, continuing Ethan Hunt’s (Cruise) fight against the Entity. Joining Cruise will be Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg as part ofMission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning’s cast, who will reprise their roles from previous films to work with the IMF team in their biggest confrontation to date.
Ethan’s fate hangs in the balance with no official confirmation of whetherThe Final Reckoningwill be the final installment in theMission: Impossiblefranchise. There has been lots of speculation since the movie was first announced, which has only been further amplified by the title change ofMission: Impossible 8. Neither Cruise nor director Christopher McQuarrie have confirmed the finality, which meansit is possible that the franchise’s life will extend pastThe Final Reckoning— but the new title for the eighth movie does have serious implications for Cruise’s billion-dollar franchise.
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning’s Title Retcons It Being A “Part 2” Movie
Mission: Impossible’s Title Change Was A Strategic Move By Paramount
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoningwas originally titledMission Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part Two, until the rebranding ultimately abandoned the studio’s planned trajectory for the movie. Although the eighth installment is now more of a separate entity from the previous film, itwill still pick directly up from the events of the last film.Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning’s title changestrikes a delicate balance between acknowledging past events and setting a fresh course for its own legacy. However, there are still many elements that link it toMission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning.
Mission: Impossible Director Gets Honest About Dead Reckoning’s Box Office Disappointment & Won’t Accept Excuses: “That’s A F*cking Cop-Out”
Director Christopher McQuarrie speaks candidly about the disappointing box office performance of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning in summer 2023.
Obviously,The Final Reckoningconnects to the previous installment through word repetition. Although it was originally announced thatDead ReckoningandThe Final Reckoningwould be a grand two-part finale for the franchise, shot back-to-back, this change was a calculated move.It’s not that Paramount is disregarding the plot ofDead Reckoning,but instead aims to acknowledge it is a complete story. Hunt will still set out on a mission to destroy the artificial intelligence program known as the Entity, asThe Final Reckoningimplies that there may not be a future for the franchise beyond this film.
Paramount also decided to change the upcoming movie’s title becauseDead Reckoning Part Oneperformed far worse at the box officethan was forecast. The studio was right to make this change, considering how small the audience was for the seventh film. The inclusion of “Part One” has negative implications for the franchise, as it creates a barrier for viewers who missed the seventh installment, who may feel they are unable to follow the eighth’s plot. Undoubtedly, this would setThe Final Reckoningup for a similar fate if the studio retained the “Part Two” title. The new name signals that the content is accessible to everyone.
1996
$457,696,391
2000
$546,388,108
2006
$398,479,497
2011
$694,713,380
2015
$682,716,636
2018
$791,658,205
2023
$570,619,838
2025
TBC
Despite the overwhelmingly positive reviews,The Final Reckoningwill distance itself from any perceived shortcomings of its predecessor by becoming unattached from this project. The studio’s departure from the “Part Two” format also proves their willingness to adapt based on audience feedback, after some reservations about the split format.The new title forMission: Impossible - The Final Reckoningis far more likely to generate buzz around the movie, and could be an attempt to show the audience that this film will be a complete and satisfying standalone story.
The Final Reckoning Indicates That It Could Be The Final Mission: Impossible (But Not Necessarily)
No One Involved In The Final Reckoning Has Confirmed If This Is The Final Installment
Mission: Impossible 8’s title has implications for Ethan’s characterand his upcoming fate. Although the use of the word “final” suggests this could be the end of the action saga entirely, it could still go either way. The trailer depicts Ethan asking his team to trust him “one last time,” and, given Cruise’s hesitancy during marketing for the movie, it seems likely that the title could instead be one broad statement. According toThe Hollywood Reporter,Paramount vouched for marketingThe Final Reckoningas the final installment in the franchise, but Cruise immediately rejected the idea.
The Final Reckoning’s title retcon appears to be the ideal compromise for the reported disagreement. Cruise and McQuarrie are being deliberately evasive about what’s next for the franchise (viaEmpire) meaning it could be the case that this title is referring to the end of the era for the current villain. Regardless, the future ofMission: Impossiblehinges on the box office performance of theeighthinstallment. Although the characters and series are beloved, a repeat of the last film’s performance inMission: Impossible - The Final Reckoningwould strongly suggest a decline in audience demand.
