It has been more than 25 years since the first Mission: Impossible film hit theaters. The spy series has only grown more popular over the years, as evidenced by the sixth installment, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, becoming the highest-grossing film in the franchise. Mission: Impossible has enjoyed an incredible lead in Tom Cruise, whose hard work has gained him recognition as one of the world’s greatest movie stars.
Update January 5, 2025: This article has been updated with additional content and information about the fan-favorite action franchise.
The franchise originally showed no signs of stopping, but after the disappointing box office of Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One and the next entry in the electrifying series being delayed to May 23, 2025, the franchise might be calling it a day soon. But with more than 25 years of Mission: Impossible films, it can be overwhelming for a newcomer to keep track of them all. Whether you’re new to the franchise or have been a lifelong fan, here’s a handy list of all Mission: Impossible movies in chronological and release order.
All Mission: Impossible Movies in Chronological Order
- Mission: Impossible (1996)
- Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)
- Mission: Impossible III (2006)
- Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)
- Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)
- Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
- Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
- Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025)
Mission: Impossible (1996)
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Release Date
May 22, 1996
Runtime
1hr 50min
The film that started it all, Mission: Impossible, was directed by Brian De Palma, the director behind Carrie, Scarface, and The Untouchables. The action extravaganza introduced Cruise as Impossible Missions Force agent Ethan Hunt, who was framed for the murder of the rest of his team. It was the first Mission: Impossible film that featured the iconic sequence of Ethan descending into a vault, just barely avoiding touching the floor that would have resulted in catastrophic failure.
Fans Loved the Remake But the Original Stars Loathed It
Serving as a continuation for the popular ’60s espionage series of the same name, Mission: Impossible firmly established Cruise as one of Hollywood’s most fearless action heroes and dominated the box office, grossing over $457 million worldwide and paving the way for future installments. Though it proved to be a massive hit with moviegoers and has attracted a passionate fanbase, the silver screen reimagining did not impress cast members of the original show, with star Greg Morris disliking it so much he left the theater early and called it “an abomination.” Stream on Paramount+
Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)
Tom Cruise returns to his role as Ethan Hunt in the second installment of “Mission: Impossible.” This time Ethan Hunt leads his IMF team on a mission to capture a deadly German virus before it is released by terrorists. His mission is made impossible due to the fact that he is not the only person after samples of the disease. He must also contest with a gang of international terrorists headed by a turned bad former IMF agent who has already managed to steal the cure.
Release Date
May 24, 2000
Runtime
123 minutes
Mission: Impossible 2 saw Ethan Hunt embark on a new mission to stop a biological weapon from being released. Hunt teamed up with professional thief Nyah Nordoff-Hall (Thandiwe Newton), the former partner of the rogue IMF agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott), who possessed the weapon and wants to use the genetically modified disease for his own nefarious purposes.
Cruise’s Impressive Box Office Achievement
Mission: Impossible 2 was the highest-grossing film of 2000, beating out fellow blockbuster releases Gladiator and Cast Away by raking in over $546 million and garnering appreciation for its pulse-pounding action sequences and director John Woo’s masterful vision. The sequel marked the last time that Cruise has starred in the top-earning film of the year, though the famous leading man did come close to repeating the action flick’s financial success when he appeared in the smash hit Top Gun: Maverick. Stream on Paramount+
Related
10 Easter Eggs You Probably Missed in the Mission: Impossible Movies
Let us put our detective glasses on and explore a few of the most intriguing callbacks and references from the Mission Impossible franchise.
Mission: Impossible III (2006)
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Release Date
May 5, 2006
Runtime
126 Minutes
Ethan came out of retirement in Mission: Impossible III when a powerful arms dealer (Philip Seymour Hoffman) emerged to threaten everything he held dear. The film introduced Michelle Monaghan as Julia Meade, a nurse who became Ethan’s fiancée and, simultaneously, a target for the film’s villain. Mission: Impossible III was also the film that introduced Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn, who appeared in every installment afterward.
Third Time’s the Charm for Cruise
Mission: Impossible III failed to reach the financial success of its predecessors but nonetheless grossed over $399 million during its theatrical run, with critics praising the intricate stunt work, gripping screenplay, and character development while regarding it as an improvement over previous entries. The stellar performance from Philip Seymour Hoffman as Hunt’s formidable foe Owen Davian was also singled out, and fans credited director J.J. Abrams with bringing a new and refreshing energy back to the franchise. Stream on Paramount+.
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)
Blamed for a terrorist attack on the Kremlin, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the entire IMF agency are disavowed by the U.S. government, while the president initiates the Ghost Protocol. Forced to go “off the grid” — left without resources or backup — Hunt must somehow clear the agency’s name and prevent another attack. Complicating matters even more, Ethan must undertake the impossible mission with a group of fellow IMF fugitives whose actual motives are suspect.
Release Date
December 7, 2011
Runtime
132 minutes
The fourth film in the Mission: Impossible franchise, Ghost Protocol harked back to the franchise’s beginnings by having Ethan blamed for another crime he did not commit. Following a mission gone wrong, the U.S. President initiated “Ghost Protocol,” which ordered the immediate shutdown of the Impossible Missions Force. Ethan formed a team with Benji and new member William Brandt (played by Jeremy Renner) in spite of the shutdown, desperate to clear their names and prevent a nuclear war.
Ghost Protocol Garners Both Critical & Commercial Acclaim
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol marked a turning point in the action-packed series, as the film and future installments started to grow in esteem and became more favorably reviewed by critics; the sequel earned an at-the-time franchise high Rotten Tomatoes score of 93% after previously receiving a lukewarm response from reviewers. Ghost Protocol also showcased Renner’s physical prowess and talents as an action star, as he would go on to play Clint Barton/Hawkeye a year later in the MCU blockbuster The Avengers. Stream on Paramount+.
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)
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Release Date
July 31, 2015
Runtime
131 Minutes
2015’s Rogue Nation was the first Mission: Impossible film directed and written by Christopher McQuarrie, who went on to direct and write Fallout, Dead Reckoning Part One, and the now-titled Mission: Impossible 8. Rogue Nation featured new antagonists in The Syndicate, a terrorist organization that sought to establish a new world order. Rebecca Ferguson made her winning debut as Ilsa Faust in Rogue Nation, becoming one of the franchise’s main characters.
Cruise Shows Off His Daredevil Stunt Work
Cruise continued demonstrating his daredevil ways with one death-defying stunt after another, famously being suspended on the side of a flying Airbus A400M Atlas without the help of a stunt double while also training with a diving specialist so he could successfully hold his breath for three minutes for a daring underwater sequence, allegedly doing so for six. Fans flocked to theaters to see what crazy stunt Cruise would do next, helping the exciting sequel gross $688.9 million and dominate the box office. Stream on Paramount+.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
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Release Date
July 25, 2018
Runtime
148 Minutes
Not only was Mission: Impossible – Fallout the highest-grossing film in the franchise, but it was also the best-reviewed film in the franchise. In this installment, The Syndicate are back and planning to simultaneously explode plutonium cores over three different cities, prompting Hunt and his determined team to once again rally together to stop a potentially catastrophic event.
Fallout Ups the Ante With Elaborate Action Sequences
The film reunited cast members Cruise, Ving Rhames, Pegg, Ferguson, and Michelle Monaghan. Fallout additionally starred Henry Cavill as August Walker, an ally of Ethan’s who was eventually found to be the villainous John Lark. Cruise performed the epic HALO jump over Paris (one of the movie’s three main action sequences) 106 times, falling at whopping speeds of 200 to 220 mph from 25,000 to 30,000 ft. high, thus showing longtime fans that he had no intentions of slowing down and playing it safe in the thrilling franchise. Stream on Paramount+
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
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Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
Release Date
July 12, 2023
Cast
Tom Cruise
, Ving Rhames
, Simon Pegg
, Rebecca Ferguson
, Vanessa Kirby
, Haley Atwell
, Shea Whigham
, Pom Klementieff
, Esai Morales
, Rob Delaney
, Henry Czerny
, Cary Elwes
Runtime
164 minutes
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One was Cruise’s first film after the monumental success of Top Gun: Maverick in 2022. Marketing for the seventh installment in the Mission: Impossible series saw IMF’s most dangerous mission yet as Ethan comes face to face with new enemies like the powerful AI rogue agent known as the Entity, a weapon that threatens the very future of the human race.
Dead Reckoning Faces Tough Box Office Competition
Henry Czerny notably reprised his role as former IMF director Eugene Kittridge after having been absent from the franchise since the first film back in 1996. Vanessa Kirby also returned to her role from Mission: Impossible – Fallout as Alanna Mitsopolis / White Widow, with new cast members including Hayley Atwell, Esai Morales, and Pom Klementieff. Dead Reckoning Part One faced stiff competition at the box office, going head-to-head with the cultural phenomenon “Barbenheimer” and unfortunately becoming a financial disappointment, grossing just $570.6 million against its hefty $291 million budget. Stream on Prime Video.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025)
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The 8th entry in the long running Mission Impossible franchise. Starring Tom Cruise and Vanessa Kirby.
Cast
Tom Cruise
, Pom Klementieff
, Rebecca Ferguson
, Vanessa Kirby
, Hayley Atwell
, Hannah Waddingham
, Simon Pegg
, Ving Rhames
, Esai Morales
, Henry Czerny
, Holt McCallany
, Nick Offerman
, Angela Bassett
, Shea Whigham
, Charles Parnell
Release Date
May 23, 2025
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Paramount originally scheduled the release of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning for Summer 2024. However, after the 2023 SAG-AFTRA actors strike halted production, the film along with several other long-awaited sequels like Dune: Part Two were pushed back, with The Final Reckoning now being slated to hit theaters on May 23, 2025. With a whopping estimated budget of $400 million, the highly-anticipated sequel is one of the most expensive movies ever made.
Cruise & Ethan Hunt Aren’t Going Anywhere
Despite Variety previously reporting that the film would be a “sendoff for Cruise’s Ethan Hunt character” in 2022, Cruise himself expressed his desire to continue portraying the iconic hero despite The Final Reckoning initially being touted as a send-off for Hunt. After witnessing the enduring fanfare Harrison Ford received from his unforgettable work in the Indiana Jones franchise, Cruise expressed his desire to follow in the silver screen staple’s footsteps and keep defying gravity with daring stunts; he told The Sydney Morning Herald in 2023:
“Harrison Ford is a legend; I hope to be still going; I’ve got 20 years to catch up with him. I hope to keep making Mission: Impossible films until I’m his age.”
Related
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Director Reveals Why It Was Split Into Two Parts
Director Christopher McQuarrie sheds light on the decision to split Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning into two parts.
Release Dates of All Mission: Impossible Movies
Mission: Impossible
May 22, 1996
Mission: Impossible 2
May 24, 2000
Mission: Impossible III
May 5, 2006
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
December 16, 2011
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
July 31, 2015
Mission: Impossible – Fallout
July 27, 2018
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
July 12, 2023
Mission: Impossible 8 (previously Dead Reckoning Part Two)
May 23, 2025
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