The Next ‘Mission Impossible’ Sequels Probably Won’t Launch Tom Cruise To The Moon

Predicting that a Fast & Furious movie will somehow involve a submarine battle is one thing. Hoping that Tom Cruise’s increasingly ludicrous stunt ideas for the Mission Impossible franchise will actually become a reality is another. Then again, the actor has made his dreams a reality before. In Rogue Nation, he held onto a departing airplane for the opening stunt. In Fallout, he did a HALO jump and flew a helicopter. But what about the “world-topping sh*t” he’s got in store for the upcoming sequels What about the moon

Previous reports have indicated that Cruise himself has entertained the idea of setting a Mission Impossible film in space (0r thereabouts). As returning director Christopher McQuarrie explained to Empire, however, that’s not going to happen — at least, the “moon” part. What’s more, he’s got a logically sound reason:

“I pitched the idea of making two movies, and now I have to justify why it’s two movies,” he tells Empire… “You’ve got to earn that. You’ve got to make something that swallows the last three movies whole. I’m freaked out now. We’ve talked ourselves into something. Holy shit.” As for the notion that these films surely have to take Tom Cruise’s stunts to new levels of possibly lunar lunacy, McQuarrie has pause for thought. “Here’s the problem with going to the moon: how do you fall from the moon” he asks.

Fair point, Christopher. Then again, this is Tom Cruise we’re talking about. If he can find a way to latch himself onto a plane in one film and jump out of one in the next, then chances are pretty good that he can negotiate some kind of lunar (or lunar-adjacent) stunt for one of the next two Mission Impossible films.