Mission: Impossible Is Over, So It's Time For Tom Cruise To Resurrect Another Franchise

No matter your thoughts on how the fuse was finally spent, this weekend marked our (apparently) last adventure with Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt in "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning." Lives were lost, countdowns were canceled, and the IMF's top agent ended things on a high by hanging off a plane, which is a standard day for our hero at this point. So now what? How does the future fare for Tom Cruise after reigniting one franchise with "Top Gun" (which has a threequel in development) and "Mission: Impossible" seemingly coming to an end?

Outside of his two most successful cinematic moneymakers, Cruise has four standalone, original movies in the pipeline. One will heading into actual outer space for director Doug Liman, and another with the director of "The Revenant," Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Now, while we're all for seeing the megastar bring an original story to life, there's still one more franchise we're desperate to see him return to, and it's the one that, surprisingly, has been stuck in the movie production mud since we were introduced to its world over a decade ago. The delay is understandable, given that the first film was deemed a low-level hit during its initial release. But just like its premise, it gained a second life on digital, sitting among what many consider to be one of the best action movies of the 2010s. We need Tom Cruise to return to the "Edge of Tomorrow," in a sequel that could reclaim some well-deserved glory that the original movie missed out on.

Everything about a sequel to "Edge of Tomorrow" feels like a gamble. In the rankings of the star's filmography, the Doug Liman-directed action movie that saw Cruise as a soldier stuck in a time loop fighting an alien invasion is the 13th most successful entry of his career. Nevertheless, talks of a sequel began as early as a year after the release of "Edge of Tomorrow" and have rumbled ever since. Now while his budget seems split between other projects, it would be the perfect time to for Cruise to get stuck into a sequel that's been stewing over at Warner Bros. since 2015, and that of other parties linked to the project are still interested in returning to. 

Even though he's already got a project on the cards with Cruise, director Doug Liman has spoken pretty highly of the story he's keen to tell, making the bold claim to IGN that "Edge of Tomorrow 2" is "going to revolutionize how people make sequels," with even Cruise's co-star praising what she's read so far. Back in 2016, Emily Blunt, who played Full Metal B***h, Sergeant Rita Vrataski, told Entertainment Weekly, "I did read a script that was in really great shape, but it's just a matter of if that can even happen now." While that's an understandable concern, it's also worth noting that in the case of Tom Cruise, nothing is impossible, and reviving one franchise is a standard routine for the billion-dollar-worthy star, and after "The Final Reckoning," it might be precisely what's needed.

While it's clear that biggest movie star in the world still maintains a presence, we can't overlook the mixed critical reception for "The Final Reckoning" and the tough competition it faces. With the film currently sitting at the third-lowest Rotten Tomatoes score in the franchise, its box-office outlook also faces families flocking to theaters for "Lilo & Stitch." This could pose a challenge, as the Disney favorite is projected to rake in as much as $124 million, while "The Final Reckoning" is expected to earn between $59 and $67 million by the end of the weekend. It's certainly not the outcome a cherished franchise like this deserves, but history tells us that whenever Cruise encounters bumps in the road at the box office, he always finds a way to bounce back. "Edge of Tomorrow 2" may be just the next hit, especially given the new partnership with a studio eager to bring him back to the screen.

In 2024, Cruise struck a deal with Warner Bros. to create a mix of original stories and potential sequels to beloved franchises, including "Edge of Tomorrow." This venture feels like a wise and exciting manoeuvre as part of his fresh collaboration with the studio, and fans are certainly buzzing about the prospect of a sequel. While some may consider it a gamble to revisit an earlier film, Cruise's dedication to revitalizing franchises is precisely what's helped "Mission: Impossible" regain its thrilling appeal. He just needs to remember a crucial challenge his billion-dollar franchise faced that "Edge of Tomorrow" should learn from.

As much as seeing Tom Cruise back in an exosuit shooting down tentacled aliens in an "Edge of Tomorrow" sequel gets us hyped, the real treat wouldn't be the return of Major William Cage, but his sword-swinging ally that was trapped in the time loop with him. Sergeant Rita Vrataski was undeniably the film's highlight, earning a place among the great female action heroes like Ellen Ripley, Furiosa, or Beatrix Kiddo. She also inadvertently spotlighted every failed female character that appeared in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise from then on. Excluding Rebecca Ferguson's Ilsa Faust, a majority of the supporting talent, but specifically the female IMF allies near the tail end of Ethan Hunt's adventures were just, sort of, there, never really providing fleshed out and thoroughly enjoyable characters that Blunt's Full Metal B***h gave us in one single film. 

If "Edge of Tomorrow 2" does actually come to pass, it needs to make sure that whatever script Blunt read in 2016 hasn't changed as much. Her refreshing inclusion is one of the key elements that had audiences giving "Edge of Tomorrow" a second look, and potentially why they could go back to theaters if "Edge of Tomorrow 2" gets the green light. Sticking Tom Cruise on the poster will no doubt turn heads, but seeing that his steely-edged supporting star will be there to slice and dice time as many aliens as he will is what we'd really love to see.