Mission: Impossible ended in 2025 after about three decades of literal death-defying stunts and epic Tom Cruise action. The Final Reckoning was pitched as the final movie in the long-running franchise, and it delivered in upping the stakes as high as they could go for one final outing. Now, a new leak (albeit one that feels incredibly unlikely) suggests there’s more on the horizon.
Leak Claims New Mission: Impossible is Coming
It was somewhat clear during The Final Reckoning that it was not initially meant to be the final movie in Mission: Impossible‘s long, illustrious history. The filmmakers did a good job adjusting to that new reality and delivering a satisfying conclusion to Ethan Hunt’s saga.
What if it isn’t over? According to a new leak, it’s not. Leaker Deuxmoi has revealed that a ninth film in the franchise will be made and that a script is allegedly underway. Furthermore, the leaker said that Tom Cruise has sought out Chloe Zhao to helm the next installment.
No other information was given, and of course, it’s always worth noting that leaks are difficult to trust. Sometimes, they come based on things people see on set, like when folks spotted Andrew Garfield on set for Spider-Man: No Way Home.
In the world of video games, information can be found in the game files that implies a certain thing is going to happen if it’s already coded in. But when it’s a movie that does not yet exist, it’s a bit harder to trust. All leaks, but especially this sort of leak, need to be taken with a grain of salt.
Why There’s No Way This Leak is True
This leak, however, is extremely dubious. It is highly unlikely that any of this is remotely true. Tom Cruise is doing a non-action movie with Alejandro G. Innaritu this year, and he seems to be moving back into the drama world and not doing his own stunts in Mission: Impossible movies anymore.
And as mentioned, The Final Reckoning was the final movie. They can always return and reboot it, but that was just a year ago. Have they really already abandoned the plan? It just doesn’t seem very likely, especially considering it made under $600 million at the global box office. That’s a good number, but it’s not the kind of number to make them backtrack and start up the franchise again.
Taking it a step further, there’s no reason to think Chloe Zhao would be tapped to direct. She is a phenomenal, capable director who has won Oscars, but she’s not really an action director. And following Ghost Protocol, Cruise has exclusively worked with Christopher McQuarrie on Mission: Impossible films and even other movies.
If the franchise is going to come back, it would be with McQuarrie directing again. There are so many reasons not to believe this particular rumor. Not only is it strange timing, but every bit of information feels wrong for the franchise. Zhao could probably direct a great Mission: Impossible, but why would they swap out the franchise’s best director?
Additionally, no major outlets have picked up the news. If it were legit, there would be several reports on it. Even as it’s a leak, there aren’t a lot of reliable sources even covering it. It’s highly improbable.
Conclusion
As the world’s biggest Mission: Impossible fan, I would welcome a return for the franchise. It’s the best movie franchise ever put to screen, and I am admittedly sad it’s over. However, all good things must come to an end, and while this leak should ordinarily excite me and other movie fans, it just feels so ridiculously implausible that it’s hard to even consider it a possibility. Maybe the series will return someday, but it’s probably not going to happen in the manner this leak suggests.
