Summary

TheMission : Impossiblefranchise set about to replace Tom Cruise once , and its bankruptcy proved that the series ca n’t replicate his collection with a new actor . TheMission : Impossiblemoviesrely on a large ensemble casting , with many of the histrion making repeat appearance , but there ’s one star at the essence of the franchise . Since its first outing in 1996 , theMission : Impossiblefranchise has been centered on Cruise as its lead thespian .

However , just becauseMission : Impossibleis nothing without Cruisedoesn’t mean that the Godhead have n’t tried to replace him . The 2011 sequelMission : Impossible - Ghost Protocolattempted to have Cruise pass the flashlight to another thespian . producer wanted Jeremy Renner ’s Agent William Brandt to become the Modern Pb of the dealership , but the reference never seem again after his 2nd instalment , 2015’sMission : Impossible - Rogue Nation . It is soft to see why viewers never warm up to Brandt , even if his backstory meant he should have been a perfectly meet alternative and replacement to Cruise ’s fiber .

Jeremy Renner Proved How Hard It Is To Replace Tom Cruise In Mission: Impossible

Ghost Protocol’s Agent Brandt Couldn’t Replicate Ethan Hunt’s Appeal

InMission : Impossible - Ghost Protocol , Jeremy Renner ’s Agent Brandt is introduced as another one of Ethan Hunt ’s colleagues in the Impossible Mission Force . However , his backstory give away that he was the agent who failed to protect the life of Ethan ’s wife , causing him to will field study in shame . Ethan win over Brandt that he needs to deliver to the ruffle , and in retrospect , this emotionally charged backstory and intimate connection with Ethan seems clearly mean to set Brandt up as his successor . The problem is thatthe movies did n’t give Brandt enough screen timefor Renner to be in good order set up as Cruise ’s switch .

Plus , Tom Cruise ’s chemistry with the supporting dramatis personae of theMission : Impossiblemovies is a Brobdingnagian part of their solicitation , and Renner could n’t copy this in his two appearances . That proves thattheMission : Impossiblemovies want Cruise even beyond his involvement in their ambitious set - pieces and telling stunts . Moreover , theMission : Impossiblefranchise gave Cruise ’s Ethan Hunt a compelling source news report back in its first outing . The 1996 moving-picture show see him lose all of his co - workers when he was twice - crossed , forcing him to go rogue . This was much more compelling than Brandt ’s backstory , which made him feel like an add-on to Ethan rather than his adequate .

Why Mission: Impossible Shouldn’t Continue If Tom Cruise Leaves

The Franchise Relies On Cruise’s Unique Persona

It also does n’t hurt thatTom Cruise famously does his own death - defy stuntsin theMission : Impossiblemovies . This is another complicating factor that makes him the heart of the dealership . Cruise ’s Ethan Hunt is a heavy part of the dealership ’s collection , as evidenced byMission : Impossible - Ghost Protocol ’s loser to get audiences invested in his potential replacement . Even if Jeremy Renner was willing to likewise do his own stunt for the series , he does n’t have Cruise ’s legendary pedigree . From hang off the side of a plane to wax the Burj Khalifa , Cruise’sMission : Impossiblestuntsare implausibly telling , and Renner does n’t share the star ’s repute .

Will Mission: Impossible Continue Without Tom Cruise?

Spinoffs Could Give Mission Impossible A New Lease of Life

Aspinoff could potentially keep theMission : Impossiblefranchise aliveif Tom Cruise was to decease . The serial publication has plenty of supporting eccentric whose stories are deserving following , and the cast ’s chemistry bear witness that any of them could sustain a story of their own . The studio could eventually attempt a reboot , as theMission : Impossibleseries is a grownup IP and one that has establish consistently profitable for decades . However , since theMission : Impossiblemovies are already adjust from the TV show of the same name , this could seem dire and unoriginal .

If Cruise remained on board behind the scenes as an executive producer , that might be enough to sustain interest in aMission : Impossiblereboot . However , it would intend that the actor was still technically involve in the franchise and would still be reliant on his star power , albeit to a less extent . Another musical theme is spinoffs focus on the backstories of existingMission : Impossiblesupporting character such as the IMF agents Luther and Benji . These could expand the fictional world of the show without command Cruise ’s affaire . That said , the failure of the first seek to supplant Cruise ’s character proves any otherMission : Impossibleprojects may fall flat with audience .

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Josh Hartnett looking shocked in Fight or Flight

In a dusty landscape Finn stares out into the distance in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Tom Cruise and Jeremy Renner wielding guns in Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol

Jeremy Renner as Agent Brandt looking confused in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Collage of Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa and Tom Cruise as Ethan in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One