7 Things That Must Happen In Mission: Impossible The Final Reckoning

Since Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning might be the final film in Tom Cruise's lengthy series, a lot needs to happen for it to be a satisfying conclusion. The eighth installment in the franchise has been eagerly awaited since the conclusion of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning. Ethan Hunt and his IMF team will face the AI villain known only as the Entity in a race against time in the newly titled Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, which was originally billed as Dead Reckoning - Part Two.

Many of the cast members from Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning, who appeared in Dead Reckoning, will return for what promises to be another fantastic action movie. However, if the Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning trailer is any indication, the movie might mark the end of the franchise. Cruise's role as Ethan Hunt may be coming to an end, as evidenced by the title's use of the word "final" and the movie's marketing's "everything has led to this" vibe.

The following are some of the trailer's clues about this reality. First, we hear Eugene Kitridge, played by Henry Czerny, say, "Everything you were… everything you’ve done, has come to this." Luther Stickle's statement that the sum of our decisions defines our lives is heard just prior to this, quoting Ving Rhames. Ethan says, "I need you to trust me, one last time," as the trailer comes to a close, giving away that the end is near. If this is the case, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning needs to provide a number of components.

Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt must have a fulfilling conclusion.

The aforementioned factors allow Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning to be viewed as the final installment in the franchise prior to its release, even though this has not yet been confirmed explicitly. In light of this, Mission: Impossible 8 must first provide a satisfying conclusion for Tom Cruise's character Ethan Hunt. The precise origin of Ethan Hunt may be unclear, but thanks in large part to Cruise's performance, his storyline from the first film to The Final Reckoning has been superb, captivating, and most importantly, fulfilling.

His conclusion must therefore be just as satisfying. Mission: Impossible 8 must provide Hunt with a fitting farewell, regardless of whether he dies or retires from the IMF. As long as the selected course is handled properly, either could be effective. Otherwise, if the character who is so closely linked to the success of the franchise is not handled well, Mission: Impossible 8 runs the risk of ending on a negative note.

It is necessary to destroy the entity.

Given that Ethan's destiny is at stake, many people might assume that the villain in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning is no different. The Entity, an AI program, is that villain. Hunt and his group must get to the Sevastopol, a submerged submarine, and destroy the Entity at its source in order to destroy it. Although it might be left off to serve as the main antagonist of M:I films after The Final Reckoning, this is unlikely, particularly if the latter is the last movie in the series.

The explanation for this is quite straightforward. Mission: The films Impossible 7 and 8 are blatantly anti-AI. The use of AI in creative industries is a major source of concern in a world where it is becoming more and more prevalent. Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie are aware of this, and they have used the Entity as an allegory for Ethan Hunt's greatest threat to date. It is difficult to envision Mission: Impossible 8—and the franchise—ending with AI triumphing, indicating the Entity's eventual demise, given the message at its core.

The Central Team's Mission: Impossible Stories Must Be Solved

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning must not only wrap up Ethan Hunt's story but also the stories of Luther and Benji, two of his longtime allies. Many people believe Luther will die in Mission: Impossible 8, and Benji might do the same. In any case, if the franchise is to have a happy ending, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning must provide each of these characters with a fitting send-off, similar to the previously mentioned point regarding Ethan's ending.

William Brandt (Jeremy Renner) ought to make a comeback.

William Brandt, played by Jeremy Renner, is one of the more significant supporting characters in any Mission: Impossible film. Introduced in the fourth entry and reappeared in the fifth, Brandt not only makes an engaging addition to Ethan's IMF team but also has an emotionally poignant connection to the story of Ethan and his ex-wife Julia. But Brandt hasn't been in the series since Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation.

Renner and Brandt ought to go back for The Final Reckoning as a result. This would just make sense, to start. Many organizations in the world of Mission: Impossible want to see the Entity destroyed or used against their enemies because it has proven to be a significant enough threat. Brandt would probably fit into the former group and be able to assist Ethan and his group. Second, personally, it would just be sweet to see Brandt return to action following Jeremy Renner's 2023 snowplow mishap.

Hunt's Mysterious History With Gabriel Must Be Revealed

The bond between Ethan Hunt and Gabriel, played by Esai Morales, was one of the more fascinating aspects of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning. Gabriel was the primary agent executing the Entity's commands and the human antagonist of Mission: Impossible 7. It is evident throughout the movie that Hunt and Gabriel despise one another because of a fight they had prior to the former joining the IMF. This flashback was hinted at in passing, and since the trailer for Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning teases elements from the past, the movie has to reveal what transpired on this fateful night.

It's evident from M:I 7's brief teases that Gabriel hurt someone Ethan cared about. In Dead Reckoning, Mariela Garriga portrays a woman named Marie; she is returning to the role in The Final Reckoning. Fortunately, this probably means that before the franchise concludes, the movie will reveal the truth about Ethan's pre-IMF life, who Marie is, and what exactly transpired between him and Gabriel.

Mission: Impossible 8's Past Connections Must Be Broken

As previously stated, the Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning trailer teases both the fact that this is the final entry in the franchise and the ways in which the earlier entries will be incorporated into the plot. Although Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning will undoubtedly have an inherent connection to the film, the trailer features images from other films, such as Mission: Impossible III. The Rabbit's Foot is seen in Ethan's possession, raising the question of how his prior experiences relate to the Entity.

This and the assertion regarding Gabriel and his relationship to Ethan demonstrate the necessity for Mission: Impossible 8 to resolve the issues surrounding Ethan's past. The flashbacks to Mission: Impossible III may indicate that the Entity planned Ethan's whole life to bring him to this point. Another possibility is that Gabriel and the Entity are attempting to retrieve the Rabbit's Foot, which was not destroyed. In any case, The Final Reckoning will include Ethan's previous Mission: Impossible exploits, and the latter will need to provide a detailed explanation of how and why.

The Mission's Future: The Impossible Franchise Must Be Confirmed

Establishing the series' clear future course is the last significant event that must occur in Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning, if it is the last in the franchise. Despite the apparent contradiction, it is obvious that Cruise's involvement will mark the end of this iteration of the Mission: Impossible franchise. A new iteration of the franchise that still considers the movie to be an ending of sorts will emerge if Hunt does not continue after The Final Reckoning.

Nevertheless, a successor must be crowned. The different filmmakers involved in the series have tried this since Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. A number of contenders have been put forward to take Cruise's Hunt's place as the franchise's future, including Renner's Brandt, Henry Cavill's August Walker (prior to his villain twist), Rebecca Ferguson's Ilsa Faust, and, more recently, Hayley Atwell's Grace. If Cruise's retirement from the franchise marks the end of Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning, the movie must either show a path forward or demonstrate that it is an unquestionable conclusion.