tom cruise mission impossible order

How to Watch the 'Mission: Impossible' Movies in Order (Chronologically and by Release Date)

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

The Big Picture

• Tom Cruise has been the face of the Mission: Impossible franchise for 25 years, playing the daring and intelligent Ethan Hunt.
• The franchise has released seven films so far, with Mission: Impossible 8 coming in summer of 2025.
• The movies can be watched in either release date order or chronological order, with each installment building upon the previous ones.

Tom Cruise helped revive a franchise in 1996 when he starred in the first Mission: Impossible film as Ethan Hunt, a member of a fictional spy agency called Impossible Missions Force, or IMF. The first film kicked off a successful movie franchise that's run for 25 years, with the number of Mission: Impossible nearing the double digits. The entire series focuses on the daring and intelligent Hunt, and while playing the same character for more than two decades is no small feat, Cruise makes the impossible look easy. While Cruise has been onboard for all of the Mission: Impossible films — seven so far, with the eighth having stopped filming due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike — the other actor who’s been by his side since day one is Ving Rhames , who plays Luther Stickell, an expert hacker at IMF and Hunt’s most trusted friend. Over the years, many great actors like Jon Voight , Philip Seymour Hoffman , and Angela Bassett have had roles in the franchise, whether as allies or antagonists to Hunt.

Thankfully, for anyone wondering how to watch the Mission: Impossible movies in chronological order or by release date, the action spy franchise isn’t as complicated as Hunt’s “impossible” missions. Here’s a straightforward guide.

Editor's Note: This article was updated on November 5, 2023.

• Mission: Impossible

An American agent, under false suspicion of disloyalty, must discover and expose the real spy without the help of his organization.

Mission Impossible Movies In Order of Release Date

Here’s every film in the Mission: Impossible movie franchise, in the order they were released in:

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 Movies in Chronological Order of Events

The timeline of the Mission: Impossible franchise is pretty straightforward, but if you're wondering when Cruise climbed the Burj Khalifa, how many movies Ilsa Faust has been in, or who's been on Ethan Hunt's IMF team the longest, we've got you covered. Here's a breakdown of how to watch the Mission: Impossible films in chronological order and the important details to remember:

Based on the TV series of the same name that ran from 1966 to 1973, Mission: Impossible , the first film in what is now a multi-billion-dollar-earning franchise, takes the original story and turns it on its head. When a whole team of IMF agents is killed during a mission, Cruise’s Hunt is left as the only survivor. Unfortunately, surviving doesn’t do him much good, as IMF, in turn, suspects Hunt of being a mole in the organization and the one responsible for the killings. In order to prove his innocence, Hunt goes on the run in search of the real mole, intent on stopping them before they do any more damage. Along with Cruise and Rhames, Mission: Impossible also stars Voigt as Jim Phelps, one of the original series’s characters, Vanessa Redgrave as an arms dealer named Max, as well as Kristin Scott Thomas and Emilio Estevez as other major characters. Directed by Brian De Palma , the 1996 film is more of a contained, paranoid spy thriller, and ultimately, the franchise goes above and beyond the first film’s story and action sequences, but Mission: Impossible will always be the one that started it all.

Released four years after the first film, Mission: Impossible 2 , directed by John Woo, features the return of Hunt and the IMF, as Hunt is tasked with finding and disposing of a biochemical weapon called “Chimera.” The villain of this mission is a former IMF agent named Sean Ambrose, played by Dougray Scott . Other new additions to the cast are Thandiwe Newton as Nyah Nordoff-Hall, Ambrose’s ex-girlfriend who helps Hunt accomplish his task, as well as Brendan Gleeson as John C. McCloy, the CEO of Biocyte, the company that creates both the Chimera weapon and its antidote, “Bellerophon.” Ambrose aims to start a pandemic so that he can earn billions of dollars by selling the antidote, and Hunt and Nyah must secure the virus before it’s too late. The second film in the Mission: Impossible franchise ups the ante, with Hunt traveling all the way to Sydney, Australia to chase down Ambrose, and the action sequences are jam-packed in typical Woo fashion .

The third film in the Mission: Impossible franchise took a really long time to be released, with six years between 2000’s Mission: Impossible 2 and 2006’s Mission: Impossible III . The third outing for IMF agent Hunt introduces two more key characters to the story — Michelle Monaghan as Hunt's fiancée, Julia Meade, and Simon Pegg ’s Benji Dunn, an IMF technician and trusted teammate of Hunt’s. In Mission: Impossible III , Hunt attempts to retire from fieldwork and settle down with Julia, but the organization can’t seem to let him go. He is called in to rescue a kidnapped agent and stop an arms dealer named Owen Davian ( Seymour Hoffman ) from receiving a dangerous MacGuffin called the “Rabbit’s Foot.” All the while, Hunt tries to keep the secret of his real job from Julie, but despite his efforts, she gets dragged into danger anyway. Directed by J.J. Abrams , the third Mission: Impossible film also features many other fantastic actors, including Laurence Fishburne , Keri Russell , and Billy Crudup .

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)

In the new decade, this is where the action franchise really hits its stride. The first Mission: Impossible film to have a subtitle, 2011’s Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol does not disappoint. After a mission goes terribly wrong, ending with the Kremlin blowing up, the U.S. government disavows IMF in what is known as the “Ghost Protocol,” leaving Hunt and his team alone and without backup. Along with Cruise, Rhames, Pegg, and Monaghan, the fourth Mission: Impossible film also stars Jeremy Renner , Paula Patton , Michael Nyqvist , and Léa Seydoux . While Hunt’s previous missions have involved traitor agents and virus weapons, this particular adventure features Hunt working to prevent a nuclear war. The stakes are higher than ever, and Hunt must overcome both physical and emotional hardships in order to do his job and save the world. The Iron Giant and Incredibles director Brad Bird made his live-action debut with Ghost Protocol , and the film is a major step up from the previous three, escalating the action set-pieces (most notably, Cruise's instantly iconic climb up the Burj Khalifa ) and introducing a more ensemble-driven approach the franchise is still embracing today.

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)

Enter Rebecca Ferguson . Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation is the fifth film in the Mission: Impossible series that never seems to stop. Alongside Alec Baldwin , Sean Harris , and Tom Hollander , this movie marks the first appearance of Ferguson's Ilsa Faust , an MI6 agent who encounters Hunt while undercover in the Syndicate crime organization; an international group of spies who went rogue. Ferguson’s character is definitely one of the most complicated of the series so far, and she adds new life and intrigue to the franchise. After Hunt is captured by the Syndicate, led by Harris’s character Solomon Lane, he is tortured for information and later escapes with Faust’s help. The Syndicate’s main goal is to reconstruct the world order through a series of violent terrorist attacks, and of course, Hunt gets blamed for the crimes, leaving him constantly on the run. It’s an age-old story. Hunt gets involved with a huge conspiracy then gets framed and must go on the run, relying on his amazing skills as an agent to take the Syndicate down before they can complete their plan. Considering that this formula has gotten the franchise this far, there’s really no reason to change it up, but director Christopher McQuarrie makes it feel fresh and new with extraordinary stunts and a deeper interest in Hunt as a character. It's no wonder that he's the only filmmaker to date to stick with the franchise for multiple sequels.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

Mission: Impossible - Fallout follows Hunt, Faust, and the rest of Hunt's now-familiar team as they work to stop what’s left of the Syndicate. The organization has reformed as the Apostles, led by an unknown figure known as John Lark. After a mission to secure stolen plutonium cores doesn’t go well, Angela Bassett, finally joining the franchise as CIA Director Erika Sloane, assigns Henry Cavill ’s August Walker to oversee Hunt’s future missions. Meanwhile, an arms dealer named Alanna Mitsopolis, or the White Widow (a new character played by Vanessa Kirby ) causes trouble for Hunt and the IMF by stealing the plutonium to make a deal. According to Mitsopolis’s offer, Hunt must secure Lane (the villain from the previous movie) and deliver him to MI6, and she will give him the plutonium cores for the CIA and IMF. Of course, very little goes according to plan, as Hunt discovers that the person known as Lark is closer than he thought. Set two years after Rogue Nation , the two films’ plots are heavily intertwined, so it’s best to watch them together if you can.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

The latest chapter of the Mission: Impossible franchise, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One features even bigger stunts than ever before and adds a host of exciting new cast members, including Hayley Atwell , Pom Klementieff , Shea Whigham, Esai Morales , Indira Varma , Cary Elwes , and Mark Gatiss , among others. Christopher McQuarrie once again wrote and directed the movie and will be doing the same for MIssion: Impossible 8 . The film introduces a new threat involving a familiar face, an organization known as the Community. It is by far the biggest film in the series, both in terms of cast and scope.

What's Next?

With every new installment, the Mission: Impossible franchise gets better and better. And while Dead Reckoning Part One may just be the best it's ever been, Cruise and McQuarrie will be looking to top that with Mission: Impossible 8 . However, the film has been delayed multiple times and has undergone a quiet name change. As of now, the eighth part of Ethan Hunt's story is set to premiere on Memorial Day, May 23, 2025.

Watch the Mission: Impossible franchise on Paramount+ in the U.S.

• Movie Features

• Tickets & Showtimes
• Trending on RT

(Photo by Paramount /Courtesy Everett Collection)

How to Watch Mission: Impossible Movies In Order

If you want to watch the Mission: Impossible movies in order and see Ethan Hunt get in his daily steps, fall from high up, take a deep breath, defy mask policy, catch a plane, and kick ass and chew bubblegum (he gets them from the IMF snack room), you can watch the movies as they released, no prequel plotting here.

• Mission: Impossible (1998)
• 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)

Now, if you’re new to the series, do you actually need to watch all the Mission: Impossible movies in order? If you were a big fan of the original TV series , you’d probably give a bellowing NO, since the 1996 Mission: Impossible movie re-introduced the Jim Phelps hero role and then gave him a thoroughly impressive character assassination. But that’s just director Brian de Palma taking the piss out of the blockbuster and Tom Cruise taking the reins of the IP on his own terms.

So the first M:I movie is a perfectly good place to start if you’ve never seen the TV show, likely since it’s over 50 years old at this point. It’s also more of a spy thriller — all dense plotting and subdued action, but with an explosive set piece or two that would become the series’ trademark. There isn’t really an overarching story to Mission: Impossible until the latter-half of the franchise, but this movie does introduce support characters like hacker Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames, who’s appeared in every movie) and then-IMF director Eugene Kittridge, who returns for Dead Reckoning .

Mission: Impossible 2 is the most skippable of the series, both in story and quality. Anyone who’s seen director John Woo’s Hong Kong stuff will likely find this one more palatable, believing that a man can fly and motorcycles can duel.

Cruise hand-picked J.J. Abrams to direct a soft reboot for Mission: Impossible III , which expands more of Hunt’s IMF team (including Simon Pegg’s Benji) and introduces Michelle Monaghan as Ethan’s fiancée Julia.

For the fourth Impossible , Ghost Protocol , Cruise made another unlikely choice for director: Brad Bird, making his live-action debut. This is where the series really establishes itself in the upper echelon of action filmmaking, and set the standard for death-defying practical stunts for each release.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) 97%

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) 96%

Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation (2015) 94%

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) 93%

Mission: Impossible III (2006) 71%

Mission: Impossible (1996) 66%

Mission: Impossible II (2000) 56%

Related news.

Awards Leaderboard: Top Movies of 2023

Golden Tomato Award 2023 Winners Give Thanks To Critics & Fans

Rotten Tomatoes Predicts the 2024 Oscar Nominations

More Countdown

30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming

50 Movies That Will Have You Fall in Love With Paris

100 Best Free Movies on YouTube (July 2024)

Movie & TV News

Featured on rt.

New Movies & TV Shows Streaming in July 2024: What to Watch on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Max and more

July 2, 2024

300 Best Movies of All Time

The 5 Most Anticipated Movies of July

July 1, 2024

The 5 Most Anticipated TV or Streaming Shows of July

Top Headlines

• 300 Best Movies of All Time –
• 30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming –
• What to Watch: June 2024’s Certified Fresh Movies and Shows –
• 50 Movies That Will Have You Fall in Love With Paris –
• 100 Best Free Movies on YouTube (July 2024) –
• 81 Most Inspiring Sports Movies –

All Mission: Impossible Movies in Order Chronologically and by Release Date

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Mission: Impossible 7 Clip Goes Behind the Scenes of Tom Cruise's Speedflying Stunt

Mission: impossible - dead reckoning director reveals why it was split into two parts, 10 funniest quotes from inside out 2.

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 October 27, 2023: This article has been updated following the release of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One and the recent delay and title change of Mission: Impossible 8.

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 franchise being delayed out of the summer movie season of 2024 into 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 8 (2025), mission: impossible.

The film that started it all, Mission: Impossible , was directed by Brian De Palma , the director behind Carrie , Scarface , and The Untouchables . The film 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.

You can stream Mission: Impossible on Netflix and Paramount+.

Mission: Impossible 2

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 who possessed the weapon. Mission: Impossible 2 was the highest-grossing film in 2000, grossing more than Gladiator and Cast Away .

You can stream Mission: Impossible 2 on Netflix and Paramount+.

A Mission: Impossible 7 clip goes behind the scenes of Tom Cruise's dangerous speedflying stunt in the upcoming film.

Mission: Impossible III

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 film afterward.

You can stream Mission: Impossible III on Netflix and Paramount+

Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol

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.

You can stream Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol on Netflix and Paramount+.

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

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 debut as Ilsa Faust in Rogue Nation , becoming one of the franchise's main characters.

You can stream Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation on fuboTV and Paramount+.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout

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. 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.

You can stream Mission: Impossible - Fallout on Paramount+.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

Read our Review:

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One Review: Blockbuster Action Overcomes Long Runtime

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One was Cruise's first film after the 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, and a weapon that threatens the very future of the human race. Henry Czerny has reprised his role as former IMF director Eugene Kittridge after having been absent from the franchise since the first film. Vanessa Kirby has reprised her role from Mission: Impossible - Fallout as Alanna Mitsopolis / White Widow, with new cast members including Hayley Atwell, Esai Morales, and Pom Klementieff.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One is available for purchase and rental on PVOD.

Mission: Impossible 8

The 8th entry in the long running Mission Impossible franchise. Starring Tom Cruise and Vanessa Kirby.

Paramount originally scheduled the release of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part Two for Summer 2024. However, in view of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA actors strike, like several other long-awaited sequels , the expected release date has been pushed back to May 23, 2025. The film also reportedly will not be called Dead Reckoning Part Two and, as of this moment, is just being referred to as Mission: Impossible 8 . Variety previously reported that the film would be a "sendoff for Cruise's Ethan Hunt character," however, in June 2023, director Christopher McQuarrie told Fandango that the series would not end with Dead Reckoning (via Games Radar ).

Director Christopher McQuarrie sheds light on the decision to split Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning into two parts.

Release Dates of All Mission: Impossible Movies

• Movie Lists
• mission impossible

The Correct Order To Watch The Mission: Impossible Franchise

There aren't many film franchises nowadays that are more well-known or beloved than "Mission: Impossible." The Tom Cruise-led film series, which is based on the 1966 TV show of the same name, is on the verge of releasing not only its seventh installment but also its eighth. That'd be seen as an undeniable achievement for any film franchise, but seems like a particularly special one when it comes to "Mission: Impossible," which released its first installment all the way back in 1996.

Over the years, directors like Brian De Palma, Brad Bird, and Christopher McQuarrie have all brought their own perspectives to the "Mission: Impossible" series. In addition to Cruise, who has led every "Mission: Impossible" movie to date, the franchise has also gradually built an impressive rotating cast of supporting players. However, while that means the "Mission: Impossible" franchise has the ability to assemble a new ensemble for each of its installments, the ever-changing nature of the series' cast can also make it difficult for new viewers to fully get their heads around the ongoing story and adventures of Cruise's Ethan Hunt.

With that in mind, here's the correct order in which viewers should watch the "Mission: Impossible" movies .

Mission: Impossible (1996)

It all began back in 1996. That's the year "Mission: Impossible," the Brian De Palma-directed, loose continuation of Bruce Geller's iconic TV series, was released in theaters. The beloved thriller also marks Tom Cruise's screen debut as Ethan Hunt, the Impossible Mission Force agent that he has gone on to play an additional five times to date.

While the "Mission: Impossible" film franchise has evolved quite a bit in the years since its 1996 debut installment was released, De Palma's big-screen thriller set the tone and laid the groundwork for everything that has come after it. Based on a script written by David Koepp and Robert Towne, the film follows Cruise's Ethan Hunt as he is forced to uncover the identity of the secret double agent working within the very organization he's dedicated his life to supporting.

With De Palma at the helm, "Mission: Impossible" makes a lasting impact as a pulse-pounding spy thriller that features more than its fair share of now-iconic set pieces. That includes a covert infiltration of CIA headquarters, which remains one of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise's most memorable action sequences. For that reason and more, this 1996 thriller remains a strong entry point into the "Mission: Impossible" franchise.

Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)

Coming four years after the release of its predecessor, 2000's "Mission: Impossible 2" takes place after the events of 1996's "Mission: Impossible." Unlike the latter film, though, "Mission: Impossible 2" was not directed by Brian De Palma, but by acclaimed Hong Kong action filmmaker John Woo. The film, consequently, not only looks and feels different than the "Mission: Impossible" franchise's first installment, but it also moves at a far different rhythm and pace.

Starring "Westworld" alum Thandiwe Newton, the 2000 film follows Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt as he teams up with a professional thief (played by Newton) in order to locate and destroy a dangerous, genetically modified disease. The disease in question just so happens to be in the possession of a former Impossible Mission Force agent (played by Dougray Scott) that Newton's thief once dated.

The "Mission: Impossible" films that have followed this Woo-directed entry have referenced it a surprisingly small number of times, and it remains one of the franchise's lesser-beloved movies. However, it deserves to be seen not only for its handful of truly memorable action sequences but also so that the full breadth of Ethan Hunt's espionage adventures isn't ever lost on "Mission: Impossible" viewers.

Mission: Impossible 3 (2006)

This 2006 installment in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise is narratively one of the series' most important. Picking up years after the events of its 2000 predecessor, "Mission: Impossible III" finds Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt living a happy life in the suburbs with his fiancée, Julia Meade (Michelle Monaghan). Ethan is pulled back into active spy duty, however, when he's asked to rescue a former protégé. That mission sets off a series of events that force Ethan into a head-to-head battle with Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a dangerous arms dealer.

As is usually the case with the "Mission: Impossible" franchise, this J.J. Abrams-directed blockbuster is a thrilling piece of spy-centric entertainment. Beyond that, the film introduces several characters and storylines, including Ethan's relationship with Julia, that have since been referenced and revisited multiple times in the "Mission: Impossible" movies that have followed it. In other words, of all of the franchise's early films, "Mission: Impossible III" is undoubtedly the one that's worth watching before moving on to any of the series' subsequent installments.

Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol (2011)

Following the release of "Mission: Impossible III," the "Mission: Impossible" franchise took a five-year break. The series made an impactful return, however, when "Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol" was released in theaters in December 2011. Directed by "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille" filmmaker Brad Bird, "Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol" picks up several years after "Mission: Impossible III" and finds Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt actively working again as a field agent for the Impossible Mission Force.

After Ethan fails to prevent a dangerous attack overseas, the film follows him and the members of his latest team as they are forced to go without their usual resources or governmental support on a mission to both save the world and rescue the IMF's oft-maligned reputation. Outside of its thrilling plot, "Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol" is likely best known for its centerpiece action sequence, which follows Cruise's Ethan as he literally scales the outside of the world's tallest building , the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

The sequence in question, notably, marks the beginning of a new era for the "Mission: Impossible" franchise, one in which the series' installments are more often remembered for their jaw-dropping practical stunts than they are for their plots or characters. That fact alone makes it one of the more important entries in the ongoing "Mission: Impossible" franchise.

Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation (2015)

Unlike "Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol," which directly references the events of its predecessor, 2015's "Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation" functions as one of its franchise's more standalone entries. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, "Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation" opens with an awe-inspiring sequence in which Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt is forced to hold onto the outside of a cargo plane as it takes off into the air. From there, the film ultimately follows him on yet another twisty, complicated spy adventure.

Outside of its memorable stunt sequences, "Rogue Nation" is perhaps most well-known for introducing not only Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), who ranks as one of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise's most noteworthy villains, but also Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), the MI6 agent who quickly became one of the series' biggest, fan-favorite characters. Additionally, while "Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation" bears very few major connections to the films that have come before it, the film's story does directly lead into the plot and events of 2018's "Mission: Impossible — Fallout."

That, in other words, makes this 2015 outing yet another "Mission: Impossible" film that must be watched before its sequel in order for any possible confusion to be avoided.

Mission: Impossible — Fallout (2018)

Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, "Mission: Impossible — Fallout" picks up shortly after the events of "Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation" and follows Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt as he is forced to break his most recent foe, Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), out of his prison in order to track down three plutonium cores that have fallen into the wrong hands.

Along the way, Ethan teams up with August Walker (Henry Cavill), a formidable CIA assassin, and finds himself coming face-to-face again with figures from his past, like Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) and his former fiancée, Julia Meade (Michelle Monaghan). "Mission: Impossible — Fallout" also, notably, features some of its franchise's biggest action sequences to date, including a high-octane chase through the streets of Paris, a death-defying helicopter chase, and a practical high altitude—low opening (HALO) jump out of a cargo plane.

In addition to its impactful stunts and character reunions, "Fallout" also happens to be the most recent "Mission: Impossible" film to date, which means it's the latest chapter in the series' ongoing story. In other words, once first-time viewers watch this 2018 thriller, all they'll have left to do is go back and rewatch the "Mission: Impossible" franchise's past installments while they wait for its next entries to be released.

Screen Rant

Mission: impossible - every movie in chronological order.

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Kevin Costner's Yellowstone Replacement Chances Look Dead After $100 Million Gamble Backfires

Francis ford coppola's sci-fi epic megalopolis rating continues director's movie trend, india's most expensive movie breaks global box office record.

Here's the correct, chronological order of the Mission: Impossible movie franchise. Before the Tom Cruise movies, Mission: Impossible is an iconic spy show that began in the 1960s and revolved around the covert missions of the IMF. The series starred Peter Graves as Jim Phelps, with supporting players including the likes of Leonard Nimoy and Martin Landau. The show was later given a short-lived revival in the 1980s before Tom Cruise signed on to lead a movie adaptation in the 1990s. Prior to Mission: Impossible, Tom Cruise tended to jump around genres, starring in dramas, comedies, and everything in between. As the franchise evolved he became more and more associated with action blockbusters and for his death-defying stunts.

The Mission: Impossible movies has arguably overtaken the original TV show in terms of iconic status, and is seen as one of the best ongoing franchises in Hollywood today. Parts seven and eight of the franchise are on the way, and while there are some rumors it could mark Tom Cruise's end in the Mission: Impossible franchise , excitement for Ethan Hunt's next adventure is as strong as ever. Even if the franchise is looking to wrap up sooner rather than later, each installment has delivered thrills to fans that can be revisited for years to come. Here's the correct viewing order for the franchise.

Related: Mission: Impossible Movies Ranked

Every Mission: Impossible Movie In Chronological Order

• Mission: Impossible (1996)
• Mission: Impossible II (2000)
• Mission: Impossible III (2005)
• Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
• Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)
• Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
• Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 (2023)
• Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 2 (2024)

Mission: Impossible has changed considerably over its entries, including in the titling. While this is partly responsible for the franchise's longevity, it also means that knowing which order to watch the Mission: Impossible movies in — especially with the more recent entries — can be tricky. Numerous stylistic swaps and changes in narrative direction between installments add an extra layer to the challenge too. Brian De Palma brought his stylish stamp to the original movie, while action auteur John Woo came on for Mission: Impossible II . J.J. Abrams made his directorial debut with Mission: Impossible III after David Fincher and Joe Carnahan both dropped out.

The first three entries are easy to track in terms of chronology thanks to their handy Roman numerals, but Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol changed things up. Acclaimed animation director Brad Bird made his live-action debut with the fourth entry, but while the original plan was to have Hunt step aside for Jeremy Renner's new agent, it quickly became clear Cruise was still very much the lead, especially after filming the series' most famous setpiece where Hunt scales Dubai's Burj Khalifa.

Christopher McQuarrie came on to direct the fifth movie Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation in 2015, which introduced Rebecca Ferguson's fan favorite Ilsa Faust to the Mission: Impossible series . In a break from franchise tradition, McQuarrie returned for Mission: Impossible - Fallout , which became the highest-grossing and is considered one of the franchise's best. McQuarrie will return once again for the upcoming seventh and eighth Mission: Impossible movies, which will be the series' first two-part story with Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 and Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 2 set for release on July 14, 2023, and June 28, 2024, respectively.

How Many Mission: Impossible Movies There Are (And How Many Are Planned)?

So far, 6 Mission: Impossible movies have been released, with Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 and Part 2 making up the seventh and eighth Mission: Impossible movies when they are released. While Dead Reckoning Part 2 is expected to be Tom Cruise's final Mission: Impossible movie, director Christopher McQuarrie suggested reports may not be completely accurate:

"Let me tell you, I’ve been working with Tom Cruise for 15 years and I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve been standing next to the man, witnessed an event and then read about it in the trades the next day and none of what they describe is actually true.”

Intriguingly, McQuarrie and Cruise also have plans to work together after Dead Reckoning Part 2 releases in 2024:

“It’s kind of under wraps,” McQuarrie said. “It has neither a fuse nor a fuselage. Oh that’s not true… It does have some fuselages. It’s something we’ve talked about for a really long time. It’s way outside of what you’re used to seeing Tom do. It’s the kind of stuff I really love. It’s a little bit more in my wheelhouse. And yet it takes everything we’ve learned on this journey, which is making movies more and more about emotion and real emotional experiences.”

Is Mission: Impossible A Sequel To The Original TV Show & Do You Need To Watch It First?

Rumors abound that 1996's Mission: Impossible was intended to be a sequel to the original Mission: Impossible TV series (and the 1990 revival), and that much is backed up by original series co-star Martin Landau, who played Rollin Hand and who told MTV News that he and Peter Graves (who played Jim Phelps) turned down offers to appear:

"When they were working on an early incarnation of the first one - not the script they ultimately did - they wanted the entire team to be destroyed, done away with one at a time, and I was against that," he said. "It was basically an action/adventure movie and not 'Mission.' 'Mission' was a mind game. The ideal mission was getting in and getting out without anyone ever knowing we were there. So the whole texture changed. Why volunteer to essentially have our characters commit suicide? I passed on it. I said, 'It's crazy to do this.' The script wasn't that good either!"

Landau also said the decision to make Phelps the villain " really upset Peter, who protected that character with a vengeance" and Graves himself expressed his disappointment in an interview with CNN in 1996:

"I am sorry that they chose to call him Phelps. They could have solved that very easily by either having me in a scene in the very beginning, or reading a telegram from me saying, 'Hey boys, I'm retired, gone to Hawaii. Thank you, goodbye, you take over now.' "

That all suggests that the Mission: Impossible movies were initially intended to be canon to the TV series, but that changed when Jon Voight was cast as Jim Phelps and the Tom Cruise movies became an outright reboot. That means that while watching the original Mission: Impossible TV series changes how you view Cruise's Mission: Impossible movies, it is not necessary to watch the original series first.

• Movie/TV Show Timelines

The Mission: Impossible Movies In Order And How To Watch Them Streaming

Your (streaming) mission, if you choose to accept it...

It’s hard to think of a better modern action series than what we’ve seen with the Mission: Impossible franchise, one that sees Tom Cruise and company continue to up the ante with each new movie. And with the release of Christopher McQuarrie’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One , it’s safe to say there are more eyes on spy-action property than ever before. 

Starting with the release of the first set of adventures featuring IMF agent Ethan Hunt and his ragtag group of expert hackers, operatives, and government officials back in 1996 all the way to the most recent entry to the saga, we’ve provided a quick rundown (if you choose to accept it) of how you can go about watching all of the Mission: Impossible movies streaming. From dropping into CIA headquarters in Langley to skydiving through a thunderstorm in Paris , there’s a lot to go over here. 

Mission: Impossible (1996)

When an operation in Prague leads to the death of nearly every member of an Impossible Mission Force team, the only surviving member, Ethan Hunt ( Tom Cruise ), becomes his agency's prime suspect. Brian De Palma’s 1996 spy thriller Mission: Impossible follows as the disavowed agent puts together a team of outcasts to find the person, or persons, responsible for the framing him for a crime he did not commit while also trying to protect the identities of the spies on the compromised disk sought out by the mysterious arms dealer named Max (Vanessa Redgrave) that was at the center of the failed operation. Stream Mission: Impossible on Paramount+. Rent Mission: Impossible on Amazon.  

Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)

When a rogue IMF agent by the name of Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) steals a deadly virus with plans to unleash it into the world before selling the antidote to the highest bidder, Ethan Hunt puts together a team consisting of his old pal Luther Stickell ( Ving Rhames ) and notorious thief Nyah Nordoff-Hall ( Thandiwe Newton ) to stop a global pandemic in the making. Although not as tight of a movie as its predecessor, John Woo’s Mission: Impossible 2 is an action spectacle with some of the most hard-to-believe stunts at the time of its release, and a sign of things to come for Tom Cruise and his desire to one-up himself with each subsequent film, even if the stress gets the best of him . Stream Mission: Impossible 2 on Paramount+. Rent Mission: Impossible 2 on Amazon.  

Mission: Impossible 3 (2006)

Directed by J.J. Abrams , Mission: Impossible III (which celebrated its 15th anniversary in May 2021 ) follows Ethan Hunt as his retirement from field duty is cut short to track down an arms and information broker Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman) before he can sell “The Rabbit’s Foot,” a deadly and mysterious object that could potentially kill millions. To make matters worse for Hunt and his team, which includes a returning Luther Stickell and IMF newcomer Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), the job becomes personal when Ethan’s fiancée Julia Meade (Michelle Monaghan) becomes part of the maniacal Davian’s plan. Stream Mission: Impossible III on Paramount+. Rent Mission: Impossible 3 on Amazon.  

Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol (2011)

The Mission: Impossible franchise reached new heights with Brad Bird ’s 2011 effort Ghost Protocol . When Ethan Hunt and the rest of his IMF team are framed for a bombing at the Kremlin during one of their investigations, the group of top-notch spies are forced to work on their own (and avoid capture) while pursuing a mysterious figure named “Cobalt” (Michael Nyqvist) before he can use nuclear launch codes to bring chaos and destruction to the world. Filled with one insane stunt after another, the franchise’s fourth installment once again shows just how far Tom Cruise is willing to push himself for the sake of a movie, especially when climbing the Burj Khalifa in the franchise’s best action sequence so far. Stream Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol on Paramount+. Rent Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol on Amazon.  

Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation (2015)

Directed by franchise newcomer Christopher McQuarrie , the 2015 spy adventure film Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation follows Ethan Hunt and his small team of returning IMF agents are tasked with the impossible: prove the existence of the mysterious organization known as the Syndicate while also stopping the group’s leader before it’s too late. The entire situation is made all the more complicated with the arrival of Ilsa Faust ( Rebecca Ferguson ), an MI6 agent working undercover in the terrorist organization who can’t be entirely trusted by Hunt and his team. The start of the McQuarrie era of the series, Rogue Nation helps establish a new chapter for the popular franchise.

CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER

Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News

Stream Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation on Paramount+ Rent Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation on Amazon.  

Mission: Impossible — Fallout (2018)

Mission: Impossible — Fallout , the most successful movie in the franchise to-date, according to BoxOfficeMojo , sticks with most of Ethan Hunt’s IMF team from its predecessor (besides the absence of Jeremy Renner ’s William Brandt) as well as concepts and storylines started several years later. Released in the summer of 2018 and once-again directed by Christopher McQuarrie , the sixth film in the series follows Hunt and his team as they attempt to uncover plutonium stolen by former members of the Syndicate hellbent on bringing utter and complete destruction to many of the world’s cultural cornerstones. To make matters worse for Hunt and his team, the operative’s past mistakes and past relationships are used against him as he sets out to complete a mission in one of the best action movies of all time . Stream Mission: Impossible – Fallout on Paramount+. Rent Mission: Impossible — Fallout on Amazon.  

Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

In July 2023, the most daring, and possibly most consequential, addition to the franchise was released with the debut of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One . The first chapter in a saga that could very well be the end of the road for Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt, this epic action film saw the IMF team face off with a cold, calculated, and all-knowing artificial intelligence known as the Entity that has gone rogue.

New and old friends, as well as an assortment of enemies, all come into play in this exciting action movie that deals with everything from power and control to what it means to be family (as well as its price).

Stream Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One on Paramount+. Rent/Buy Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One on Amazon.

Mission: Impossible’s Director Reveals The ‘Unsung Strength Of Tom Cruise’ That Makes These Films Great

Over the course of the past 27 years, Tom Cruise and the rest of the players behind the Mission: Impossible franchise have continued to up the ante in terms of scope, story, and most of all, stunts. If you want to see the series in all its glory in the highest possible definition, there is always the Mission: Impossible 4K 6-movie collection available on Amazon. 

As you can probably tell by now, a Paramount+ subscription is going to be your best bet to watch the Mission: Impossible movies streaming, and the service will undoubtedly be home to Dead Reckoning Part One in the near future. By the time that happens, we’ll probably be getting all geared up for the release of Mission: Impossible 8 in 2025.

Philip grew up in Louisiana (not New Orleans) before moving to St. Louis after graduating from Louisiana State University-Shreveport. When he's not writing about movies or television, Philip can be found being chased by his three kids, telling his dogs to stop barking at the mailman, or chatting about professional wrestling to his wife. Writing gigs with school newspapers, multiple daily newspapers, and other varied job experiences led him to this point where he actually gets to write about movies, shows, wrestling, and documentaries (which is a huge win in his eyes). If the stars properly align, he will talk about For Love Of The Game being the best baseball movie of all time.

I'm Obsessed With Thelma As An Action-Comedy, But I Want To Talk About How Well It Handles Aging

10 Most Iconic Queer Grey's Anatomy Characters

Wicked Got A New Release Date Alongside Gladiator 2, And Director Jon M. Chu Can’t Stop Sharing Barbenheimer-Related Memes

Most Popular

• 2 Luke Bryan Revealed Major Pop Stars In Talks To Replace Katy Perry On American Idol, And I Know Which One I'd Pick
• 3 James Gunn Breaks Silence On Superman Set Photo Leaks
• 4 Maya Hawke's Stranger Things Season 5 Update Touches On One Of My Biggest Problems With The Streaming Era
• 5 Daniel Radcliffe Was Playing Harry Potter For Fun, But He Shares The Aha Moment Making The Films That Led Him To Want To Become A Serious Actor

How to Watch the 'Mission: Impossible' Movies in Order Now That 'Dead Reckoning' Is Out

Unlike some other franchises, the release order is the chronological order.

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

"This is far and away the most dangerous thing we've ever attempted," Tom Cruise says as he stands atop a sheer Scandinavian cliff face. "We've been working on this for years. We're going to shoot it in Norway, and it'll be a motorcycle jump off a cliff into a BASE jump. I've wanted to do it since I was a little kid."

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is in theaters now , and if you need to refresh yourself on the franchise before you go see it, now is the time to re-watch the Mission: Impossible movies in order . If you can't keep your Rogue Nations straight from your Ghost Protocols (and can't guess at the order based on the changing lengths of Tom Cruise's hair), bookmark this page, so you'll always have the Mission: Impossible order at the ready.

The good news is that the order of release is also the order of the events within the movie, so you don't have to untangle a thorny timeline: The release order is the chronological order. The better news is that they're easy to find on streaming services. All the previous Mission: Impossible movies are available on Paramount+ , as well as rental service like Prime Video and iTunes.

Once you finish those, you can start your rewatch of all the Indiana Jones , Transformers , Spider-Man and Marvel MCU movies in order, since those franchises all have new movies coming out this year, too.They should hold you until Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two comes out in June 2024.

Mission: Impossible (1996)

There's a mole at the Impossible Mission Force, and Ethan Hunt has to team up with other disavowed IMF agents to keep more of his co-workers from getting killed. This movie is known for its depiction of a break-in scene at the CIA headquarters in Langely — that's the one where Hunt has to dangle from the ceiling without touching the floor — which spawned a thousand homages.

Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)

Superstar action director John Woo takes up where director Brian De Palma let off. This movie plays like a slick, action-filled gloss on the Alfred Hitchock film Notorious ; Hunt has to recruit a professional thief, played by Thandie Newton, to help extract information from her ex-boyfriend, who has control of a biological weapon.

PRIME VIDEO PARAMOUNT+

Mission: Impossible 3 (2006)

After the events of the second film, Hunt gets to settle down with a wife and just live out the rest of his years having a normal life. Well ... until an arms dealer, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, starts going after Hunt's protégés and family, and Hunt has to stop at nothing to bring him down. This one is directed by J.J. Abrams before he jumped to the Star Trek / Star Wars franchises.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)

Brad Bird, director of The Incredibles , makes his live-action debut with this one — and basically treats Tom Cruise like an invulnerable Mr. Incredible, making him do everything from climbing the exterior of the Burj Kalifa to fist-fighting in an automated parking garage while cars are being flung at him. At least he has the help of Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), two returning characters who will become the core of his team from this movie on out.

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)

Jack Reacher director Christopher McQuarrie comes in for the fifth film in the franchise, and he's the one who will see it through from here to the end of Dead Reckoning Part Two . McQuarrie, like the rest of the series, is known for intricate, high-suspense sequences, like the one in this film that has Hunt and his team squaring off with former MI6 agent Ilsa Faust — quietly — behind-the-scenes at the Vienna opera.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)

The previous Mission: Impossible film sets the series up for a one-two punch of an ending. The bad guys that the IMF has been outfoxing for the past two films have become a terrorist organization known as the Apostles, and Hunt's team needs to recover the plutonium they've acquired.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One finds Ethan Hunt doing what he does best — jumping off of cliffs, fighting on top of trains, doing some high-performance driving on tiny European streets — all in the name of fighting an enemy called The Entity. The regular cast is joined by new members like Hayley Atwell (of Agent Carter fame) and Pom Klementieff (aka Mantis in The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ) and Shea Whigham (of the Fast and Furious movies).

WATCH TRAILER

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two (2024)

And then, after Dead Reckoning Part Two , we'll say goodbye to Ethan Hunt forever. This one is set for June 28, 2024 (assuming it won't be delayed due to the Hollywood strikes). Will Hunt finally get to settle down with a family? Will a bad guy actually get the better of him? Will he drive his motorcycle off into the sunset, or off a cliff without a soft place to land? Only time will tell.

Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; she previously wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother . She lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found dominating the audio round at her local bar trivia night or tweeting about movies.

@media(max-width: 64rem){.css-o9j0dn:before{margin-bottom:0.5rem;margin-right:0.625rem;color:#ffffff;width:1.25rem;bottom:-0.2rem;height:1.25rem;content:'_';display:inline-block;position:relative;line-height:1;background-repeat:no-repeat;}.loaded .css-o9j0dn:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/goodhousekeeping/static/images/Clover.5c7a1a0.svg);}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.loaded .css-o9j0dn:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/goodhousekeeping/static/images/Clover.5c7a1a0.svg);}} The Best Movies to Watch

See Hallmark's "Christmas in July" Movie Schedule

The Best Psychological Thriller Movies of All Time

The Swooniest, Most Romantic Movies of All Time

35 Romantic Movies to Watch on Netflix Right Now

Everything to Know About 'Practical Magic 2'

Lacey Chabert Reveals Exciting Hallmark Movie News

A Definitive List of the Best Halloween Movies

A Definitive Ranking of All Pixar Movies

51 Easter Eggs Hidden in Pixar Movies

Meet the Brand-New Emotions in 'Inside Out 2'

'WCTH' Star Chris McNally Announces Movie News

• Children's/Family
• Documentary/Reality
• Amazon Prime Video

More From Decider

'The Bear' Season 3 Review: Carmy Secures His Role as The Chairman of The...

R.I.P. Martin Mull: 'Clue' & 'Roseanne' Star Dead at 80

Every Kevin Costner Movie Is A Western (Even When They're Not)

Nicole Kidman Tore Zac Efron’s Shirt Off in One Take, Says ‘A Family...

Is Kevin Costner Dooming Himself To Be The Captain Ahab of Westerns With...

Heidi Klum Strips Down On 'Hot Ones', Leaving Host Sean Evans Speechless

Vanna White Struggles Working With Ryan Seacrest And May Exit 'Wheel Of...

'Hit Man' True Story: What to Know About the Real Gary Johnson Who...

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to copy URL

How to Watch All 7 ‘Mission Impossible’ Movies In Order

Where to stream:.

• Mission: Impossible

Glen Powell Reveals Tom Cruise’s Terrifying Prank That Had Him Fearing For His Life While Filming ‘Top Gun: Maverick’

Emily blunt claims some on-screen kisses have made her want to throw up: “i’ve definitely not enjoyed some of it”, in ‘the fall guy,’ ryan gosling and emily blunt give a perfect chemistry lesson, rebecca ferguson’s co-stars called her after she dropped a blind item about one of them screaming on set: “you understand what you’ve done, right”.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to watch all of the Mission: Impossible movies in order before Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One opens in theaters. Unfortunately, that gives you (checks calendar) one day to watch the entirety of the franchise. Fortunately, Decider is more than happy to help you achieve this particular impossible mission. Cue the iconic theme song!

Of course, true Mission: Impossible fans know that it all started with the ’60s TV show created by Bruce Geller, but the franchise didn’t become the mega-hit we all know and love until star Tom Cruise suspended himself from the ceiling in 1996. That first Mission: Impossible movie, directed by Brian de Palma, was a major success, and the rest is history.

Now, over twenty years and billions of dollars in profits later, Cruise is once again stepping into the shoes of agent Ethan Hunt. This time around, Ethan and his team are facing off against a mysterious, all-powerful enemy known as “the Entity.” Ominous!

Hollywood has Mission: Impossible fever this week, and we know you do, too. Here’s how to catch up on the franchise.

How many Mission Impossible movies are there?

There are currently seven Mission: Impossible movies, including the one opening in theaters this weekend. However, as the title of the newest film suggests— Dead Reckoning Part One —there is at least one more movie in the bank.

Here’s a list of all the Mission: Impossible movies, including the upcoming eighth movie, in 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 – Dead Reckoning Part Two (2024)

Do you have to watch the Mission Impossible movies in order?

If you want to skip around while watching the Mission: Impossible movies, that’s perfectly fine. With the exception of this upcoming two-parter, each movie comes with a new mission for Tom Cruise, and each movie is self-contained and self-explanatory enough that you will be able to follow it. It’s all about the individual missions, baby! We’re sure you won’t be too confused.

That said, if you are planning to watch every film, you might as well go in chronological order.

How to watch the Mission Impossible movies in order by release date:

The best way to watch the Mission: Impossible movies are in the order they were released. All of the movies are available on Paramount+ , which is the streaming service for ViacomCBS and features content from CBS All Access, CBS, Showtime, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, Pluto TV, and more company brands. Subscribers in the U.S. can get a  premium plan for $9.99/month , or an  ad-supported plan for $5.99/month .

Scroll down to find out where to watch every Mission: Impossible movie on streaming.

It’s the movie that started it all, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Brian De Palma. If you only watch one Mission Impossible movie before the new one in theaters, you should probably make it this one. Nothing beats the OG! (Well, nothing beats the OG, which is technically a spin-off continuation of the ’60s TV series and ’80s sequel series of the same name. Whatever!)

Director John Woo took over for the second Mission: Impossible movie, which hit theaters four years after the first film was a box office success. Critics didn’t love the sequel, but audiences sure did. Mission: Impossible 2 was the highest-grossest film of the year 2000.

Who knew that J.J. Abrams directed a Mission: Impossible movie? Well, you do, now that you’ve bothered to read this little blurb! The Star Trek and Star Wars director took on the third film in the Impossible franchise, and Abrams’s take on the film was much more well-received by critics than the second movie.

The fourth Mission: Impossible movie is the first film in the franchise to bring on Christopher McQuarrie, who handled re-writes for Ghost Protocol and would go on to direct the next four Impossible films. The film was directed by Brad Bird, and was well-received by audiences and critics alike. If you’re only interested in the McQuarrie era of the franchise, you can start here.

The fifth film in the franchise is where Christopher McQuarrie (also known for his Oscar-winning screenplay for The Usual Suspects) truly took over. He is credited both as the director and the writer of Rogue Nation , and his take on the franchise was once again well-received by audiences and critics.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout  (2018)

In the most recent Mission: Impossible movie, before the current one in theaters, Agent Ethan Hunt and his team take on the terrorist group previously known as the Syndicate, now known as the Apostles. Written and directed by McQuarrie, it’s also the first film to feature Henry Cavill as a trained assassin.

Right now, you can only watch Mission Impossible 7 in theaters. It’s not streaming anywhere, yet, and we don’t want to give too much away, because it’s about to open in theaters this weekend! You can buy tickets to a showing near you via Fandango . That said, you can expect Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One to stream on Paramount+ later this year.

• Decider Lists

Elliot Page Wanted His 'Umbrella Academy' Character To Come Out As Trans. The Showrunner's Response? "Oh My F***ing God. Kill Me Now."

What Time Will 'Down In The Valley' Be on Starz? Release Date, Streaming Info, How To Watch

'The View's Whoopi Goldberg And Sunny Hostin Can't Contain Their Glee At The Thought Of Trump In Rikers: "Put Him In The Clink!"

Bill Maher Calls For Biden To Withdraw From Presidential Race: "He Is Going To Lose, It's So Apparent"

'The View' Stumbles Into A Commercial Break As Whoopi Goldberg Pretends Her Mic Was Cut By Producers: "Is This What We're Doing?"

R.I.P. Martin Mull: 'Clue' & 'Roseanne' Star Dead at 80

How to watch the Mission: Impossible movies in order

Relive almost three decades of Ethan Hunt's greatest missions

It’s time to light the fuse once more. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is now in cinemas and you’ll probably want to relive Ethan Hunt’s journey before getting to the mammoth two-parter. 

If that’s the case, you’ll need to know how to watch the Mission: Impossible movies in order. While the franchise isn’t as extensive as Bond and certainly not as convoluted as something like the MCU, you still might need a refresher on the M:I watch order – should you choose to accept it.

Ready? Don’t worry, this guide won’t self-destruct in five seconds. Here’s how to watch the Mission: Impossible movies in order.

Don’t worry too much about chronological order here, it's all about the release dates. There are a handful of flashbacks – most notably, Dead Reckoning includes a brief look back at Ethan’s pre-IMF days – but the series should be watched beginning with 1996’s Mission: Impossible (which technically takes place six years after the TV series it’s based on) and concluding with Dead Reckoning Part One. Part Two will release on June 28, 2024.

• Mission: Impossible (1996)
• Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)
• Mission: Impossible 3 (2006)
• Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)
• Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)
• Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
• Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
• Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two (2024)

If you want to divide up your Mission: Impossible marathon, we’d recommend watching the first four movies in order and then watching Rogue Nation and Fallout in pretty close proximity before heading to the cinemas to see Dead Reckoning. The fifth and sixth movies are most closely connected. Both directed by Chris McQuarrie, they introduce villain Solomon Lane. Dead Reckoning then continues on with multiple relationships and alliances from that pair of missions, with various characters returning.

As for skippable entries: if you're short on time, Mission: Impossible 2 is by far the most disposable. It's a completely self-contained affair with essential no carry-over in future films - which can't be said of every other entry.

For more on Mission: Impossible, check out our latest Dead Reckoning interviews and coverage:

Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

• How Mission: Impossible's Hayley Atwell brought her "scrappy" Dead Reckoning newcomer to life
• Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning’s Hayley Atwell spent 100 days on set before recording dialogue
• Mission: Impossible director on why Dead Reckoning is split into two parts
• Chris McQuarrie opens up on Dead Reckoning: "I’m more frightened now than I was on my first Mission: Impossible"

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

The 32 greatest Tom Cruise movies

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning sets streaming date as its title mysteriously changes

Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance is a pick and mix of my favorite JRPG elements, and I can't believe it's taken me this long to get into the series

Most Popular

• 2 Still Wakes the Deep review: "A moody, ambient piece of short-form horror fiction"
• 3 Destiny 2: The Final Shape review – "an incredibly well-executed expansion that nicely rounds off a decade-long journey"
• 4 Nine Sols review: "Metroidvania blended with Soulslike elements and the execution is nothing short of astonishing"
• 5 The Rogue Prince of Persia Review: "a roguelite with few fresh ideas that's mainly being propped up by its slick combat"
• 2 MaXXXine review: "If you've come for carnage, this slasher will satisfy your bloodlust"
• 3 Something in the Water review: "Bridesmaids meets Jaws in an unmemorable thriller"
• 4 The Exorcism review: "The Russell Crowe horror veers more ridiculous than terrifying"
• 5 Inside Out 2 review: "Pixar's sassy sequel will take you on a Joy ride"
• 2 Star Wars: The Acolyte episode 5 review: "Mounting tensions come to a head in an explosive confrontation"
• 3 Doctor Who episode 8 review: "A thrilling climax to a season that has made this 61-year-old TV show feel young again"
• 4 Doctor Who episode 7 review: "Real potential here to make it an epic, Gatwa-worthy finale"
• 5 The Boys season 4 review: "Wildly entertaining but the cracks are starting to show"

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

How to Watch the ‘Mission: Impossible’ Movies in Order

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

Since 1996, Tom Cruise has been the heart of the “ Mission: Impossible ” film series, thrilling audiences as Ethan Hunt, the IMF (that stands for Impossible Mission Force, don’t-cha-know) agent constantly plunged into increasingly dangerous scenarios. And he’s not about to stop anytime soon – “ Mission: Impossible, Dead Reckoning, Part One ,” the seventh film in the franchise, is due out this July, while “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part Two” will be unleashed next June.

If, somehow, you’ve never seen any of the “Mission: Impossible” movies, they began in 1996 with the Brian De Palma-directed original, an adaptation of the popular, Bruce Geller-created spy series that ran from 1966 to 1973 for 172 episodes and was revived briefly in the late 1980s (that version only ran for two seasons and 35 episodes). Many of the hallmarks of the television series made it into the movie – the mission briefing that would “self-destruct” at the end of the message, the idea of a team of highly trained specialists, characters like Jim Phelps (played by Jon Voight in the movie and Peter Graves in the original series) – but updated for modern, ‘90s audiences.

From there the franchise got a reputation for being director-driven, with each subsequent installment (up until the fifth film) being helmed by a different director. John Woo brought his Hong Kong bullet ballet aesthetic (and heightened emotional tenor) to “Mission: Impossible 2”; J.J. Abrams made his feature debut with the more grounded and human “ Mission: Impossible III ”; Brad Bird brought a playfulness and sense of fun to “ Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol ”; and Christopher McQuarrie turned “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” into an elevated thriller that bordered on the Hitchcockian, while his followup “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” became even grander, more thrilling and more emotionally resonant. From inauspicious beginnings, “Mission: Impossible” has grown into one of the most exciting (and artistically ambitious) franchises in Hollywood history, with no signs of slowing down.

Also Read: ‘Mission: Impossible’ 7 and 8 are ‘Insane,’ Paramount CEO Says: ‘The Audience Lost Their Mind’

While each entry has its own cast of characters, there have been a few stalwarts that have become series regulars, including Ving Rhames (who has appeared in every entry since the first), Simon Pegg (a regular from “Mission: Impossible III” on), Rebecca Ferguson (around since “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation”) and folks like Vanessa Kirby, Angela Bassett and Frederick Schmidt, all of whom were introduced in “Fallout” and are expected to return for the two new movies ( among many others ).

With six films in total (now) and eight by the end of 2024, and with only the first three movies assigned helpful numerical values, we will help keep things straight with this handy list (which will, of course, self-destruct five seconds after you finish reading).

How to Watch the “Mission: Impossible” Movies in Chronological Order:

The chronological events of the “Mission: Impossible” movies follow the order in which they were released, meaning no backtracking is needed for prequels or sidestepping for spinoffs.

• “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 – Dead Reckoning, Part Two” (2024)

Also Read: Donloe Returns! Rolf Saxon Joins ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part 2’

Do you have to watch the “Mission: Impossible” movies in order?

While there might be some that would suggest that you can watch them in any order, this isn’t exactly true. Each installment builds to the next in interesting and unexpected ways, with “Fallout” and the two new movies feeling like they are the culmination of everything that came before. Even “Mission: Impossible 2,” arguably the most disposable entry in the franchise, has paid off in some fun ways, particularly during the climax of “Fallout” (no spoilers here).

With “Mission: Impossible III” you do feel that the series is gelling in a way that would continue throughout the franchise, with Abrams taking an active role as producer on “Ghost Protocol” and “Rogue Nation” and his production company Bad Robot sticking around for “Fallout.” (The next two movies are the first Bad Robot-free productions since “Mission: Impossible 2.”) Still, we think that every entry is necessary. They’re all a lot of fun. Why would you want to skip any?

Just watch them in the order they were released. You will be rewarded for the journey.

Where are the “Mission: Impossible” movies streaming?

You can watch all the “Mission: Impossible” movies, along with the 1966 TV series, on Paramount+ (though some of the films are currently only available through Paramount+ with Showtime).

You can also stream “Mission: Impossible,” “Mission: Impossible II,” “Mission: Impossible III,” “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” and “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” on FuboTV.

Paramount+ will also be the streaming destination for the two upcoming new movies after their respective theatrical runs.

Also Read: First ‘Mission: Impossible 7’ Trailer Sees Tom Cruise Riding a Motorcycle Off a Cliff (Video)

Recommended Stories

Who finance pros say should replace biden if the president steps aside.

Stock market watchers have been making lists of possible replacements for Joe Biden in the days since the president's halting debate performance.

Utah State places football coach Blake Anderson on administrative leave with 'intent to terminate'

Anderson is entering his fourth season with the Aggies.

Who is Jack Schlossberg? The grandson of JFK, singing shirtless to the Beatles and dancing the moonwalk at Walmart.

He cracks coconuts, takes down politicians and dances — sometimes while shirtless.

Tyla, Ice Spice and Blac Chyna stun in statement gowns at the 2024 BET Awards: See some of the best looks of the night

A-list celebrities in Black entertainment brought next-level glam to the blue carpet.

Lolo Jones, at 41, resurfaces at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials

The former Olympian overcame an ailing hamstring to run the 100 hurdles at Trials for the first time in 12 years.

Disney's new theme park disability policy sparks anger

Changes to Disney's Disability program have fans upset about their ability to navigate the park.

Texas baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle says he left Texas A&M after new AD told him 'it's OK to move on'

"I was a little taken aback by that, and that was the moment that I began to think that maybe this wasn’t going to work out."

Countdown of NFL's offseason power rankings and 2024 season preview

Our Frank Schwab counts down his NFL power rankings, grades each team's offseason, solicits fantasy football advice and previews what the 2024 season might have in store for each team.

WNBA All-Star snubs: Who had worthy cases to join Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese?

There weren’t many clear snubs, but the top ones have one main thing in common: defense.

Why Nvidia stock is now in treacherous waters: Morning Brief

Nvidia shares feel ready to crumble under the weight of investors' insane expectations. Investors are getting an idea of what this could look like.

• Movies & TV
• Big on the Internet
• About Us & Contact

Catch Up on the ‘Mission: Impossible’ Franchise With Our Watch Guide

With (at least) one more film on the way, the Tom Cruise-led Mission: Impossible franchise is showing no signs of fatigue. With each successive entry, the music has remained just as iconic, the stunts have become more incredible, and the characters increasingly compelling. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One has proven to be a worthy successor to Mission: Impossible – Fallout , and there is a lot of fun to be had if you decide to (re)watch the franchise from the very beginning. Here’s how to watch all Mission: Impossible movies released so far, in order.

Mission: Impossible (1996)

The one that started it all. Mission: Impossible , based on the hit television series of the same name (which originally ran on TV from 1966-1973), introduced Tom Cruise as action hero Ethan Hunt , an American intelligence agent who must prove his innocence when framed for the inexplicable deaths of several members of his IMF (Impossible Mission Force) team. Directed by Brian De Palma, the first installment in the series also introduces franchise mainstay Ving Rhames as Luther.

Mission: Impossible II (2000)

In the first Mission: Impossible sequel, Ethan Hunt is sent to Sydney to recover and destroy a deadly genetically modified disease called “Chimera,” which was stolen by a rogue IMF agent (Dougray Scott) after they murdered the scientist who created it. Thandiwe Newton plays a professional thief who helps Ethan on his mission in the second M:I movie, directed by John Woo.

Mission: Impossible III (2006)

Mission: Impossible III introduced Ethan Hunt’s fiancé, Julia (Michelle Monaghan), who is unaware of Ethan’s real job: training IMF recruits after retiring from fieldwork. However, Hunt is forced back into active duty when the agency comes into contact with a dangerous and vindictive arms dealer (the late Philip Seymour Hoffman), who subsequently threatens Ethan’s life and kidnaps Julia. Directed by J.J. Abrams, the third M:I also stars Maggie Q, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Billy Crudup, Keri Russell, and Simon Pegg—who makes his franchise debut as Benji .

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)

In Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol , Ethan Hunt and his team (which includes Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, and Paula Patton) go rogue to clear the IMF’s name after it is shut down in relation to a bombing attempt on the Kremlin. Though the Mission: Impossible franchise had some incredible stunt sequences prior to the fourth installment, this is where Cruise really started going for it: who can forget him climbing the Burj Khalifa in Dubai with nothing but a pair of high-tech gloves? Brad Bird ( The Iron Giant ) directed Ghost Protocol , which also features Léa Seydoux as an assassin.

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)

The fifth film in the Mission: Impossible franchise and the first to be directed by Christopher McQuarrie, Rogue Nation sees Ethan Hunt and his team take on their most difficult mission yet: taking down an international rogue organization every bit as skilled and elusive as they are—an organization intent on destroying the IMF and led by an unhinged villain (Sean Harris). Rogue Nation introduces Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa Faust to the mix with a daring escape scene and an incredible sequence set in the Vienna State Opera.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)

Mission: Impossible – Fallout features not only one of Tom Cruise’s most dangerous stunts ever but also Henry Cavill’s now iconic mustache and that reloading thing he did with his arms . This is perhaps the tensest and most complicated film in the franchise, as the remnants of the Syndicate (the organization the IMF hunted in Rogue Nation ) have reformed into a group known as the Apostles, who are intent on obtaining three plutonium cores. Familiar faces are joined this time by Vanessa Kirby’s mysterious character, the White Widow—a role she reprised in the franchise’s next installment.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One sees Ethan and his team—including Luther, Benji, and Ilsa—fight to get their hands on the only key that can disable a rogue AI known as “The Entity.” Joining Ethan and the gang is Grace (Hayley Atwell), a talented thief unwittingly embroiled in The Entity’s world-threatening schemes. Hunting Ethan is Gabriel (Esai Morales), a mysterious villain from his past, and an assassin known as Paris (Pom Klementieff). Dead Reckoning Part One also sees the return of Henry Czerny’s Eugene Kittridge , a familiar face fans will recognize from the very first Mission: Impossible movie.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two (2024)

Though not much is currently known about Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two , it is clear that Hunt will be hoping to shut down “The Entity” once and for all. We also know that Ted Lasso ‘s Hannah Waddingham has officially joined the cast list and that the movie is slated for release in June 2024. Reportedly, Dead Reckoning Part Two is set to be a send-off for Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt and the Mission: Impossible franchise at large. If that turns out to be true, we’re certain that McQuarrie and Cruise will produce an undeniably spectacular finale for an incredibly memorable action franchise.

(featured image: Paramount Pictures)

The Correct Order In Which To Watch The Mission: Impossible Franchise

When the first "Mission: Impossible" film hit theaters in 1996, success seemed like a mission impossible. Directed by Brian De Palma and starring Tom Cruise , the initial movie brought the beloved 1960s TV series to the big screen with a fresh and action-packed approach. "Mission: Impossible" received positive reviews from critics and audiences alike, earning over $457 million worldwide and becoming one of the year's biggest hits. Mission accomplished.

Even more remarkably, this initial installment launched a long-running series of films: "Mission: Impossible II" (2000), "Mission: Impossible III" (2006), "Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol" (2011), "Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation" (2015), "Mission: Impossible – Fallout" (2018), and " Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One ." Each film offered a unique take on the franchise's formula, though they primarily served as showcases for Cruise's extraordinary talent for thrilling stunts.

With so many chapters to explore, it's easy to become overwhelmed by the intricate web of spies and double-crossers spun by Cruise's iconic character, Ethan Hunt, and his IMF team. But fear not, for we are here to guide you through this perilous world and help you navigate the "Mission: Impossible" franchise with precision. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to read the following article before it self-destructs. Good luck!

Mission: Impossible (1966-73)

Fun fact: " Mission: Impossible " didn't always revolve solely around Tom Cruise's stunt work. While older folks are acquainted with the series' origins, younger audiences might be unaware that the spy saga originated on the small screen in the late 1960s. The popular TV show, which aired from 1966 to 1973, introduced iconic elements such as Lalo Schifrin's incredible theme and those mind-boggling masks. Starring Barbara Bain, Greg Morris, Peter Graves, Martin Landau, and even Leonard Nimoy for a time, the show followed the IMF's dangerous missions mounted under the leadership of Jim Phelps. These missions required precise execution and a fair share of luck to achieve positive outcomes.

That's why there was significant discontent among fans after the release of the original "Mission: Impossible" film in 1996, which abruptly killed off Mr. Phelps (portrayed by Jon Voight) and depicted him as a villain. According to Landau, his co-star Graves was unhappy with how his character was portrayed, and many cast members refused to appear as a result. Landau revealed to MTV , "When they were working on an early version of the first one — not the script they ultimately used — they wanted the entire team to be destroyed, done away with one at a time, and I was against that. It was basically an action/adventure movie and not 'Mission.'"

Nevertheless, fans of the film series would benefit from investing some time in the classic TV show to appreciate its contributions.

Mission: Impossible (1988-90)

After its cancellation in 1973, "Mission: Impossible" faded into obscurity until ABC decided to revive the series in the late 1980s. Peter Graves reprised his role as Jim Phelps, now overseeing a new team of agents portrayed by Thaao Penghlis, Tony Hamilton, Phil Morris (the son of Greg Morris), Terry Markwell and Jane Badler.

While this revamped version of "Mission: Impossible" offered entertaining upgrades from the 1960s series, it mostly recycled elements and episodes from its predecessor, such as "The System," "The Killer," and "The Legacy," with a few new tweaks added for good measure. The show introduced a range of unique gadgets and featured plenty of twists and turns. While it's not necessary viewing material, it's worth watching as a precursor to the later big-screen adaptations. For those who want to delve into the franchise, starting with the original series and then transitioning to the 1996 film "Mission: Impossible" would be the recommended path. However, if one chooses to watch the 1988 iteration, this would be the appropriate place to do so — after the original show and before the first movie.

Mission: Impossible (1996)

Several years after the rebooted TV series failed to gain traction, Tom Cruise and his producing partner Paula Wagner took charge and collaborated with renowned director Brian De Palma to develop a feature-length film. The result was a twisted, complex, and intelligent spy thriller featuring captivating performances from Cruise and his co-stars Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Béart, Ving Rhames, and Vanessa Redgrave, complemented by an incredible musical score from composer Danny Elfman.

In " Mission: Impossible ," we are introduced to Ethan Hunt (Cruise) as he embarks on a mission to intercept a disk containing the CIA NOC list. When the operation goes awry, leaving Ethan and Claire (Béart) as the only survivors and accused of being double agents, they must go rogue to clear their names and apprehend those responsible for framing them.

This film sets a different tone compared to later entries in the series, with De Palma opting for a paranoid thriller instead of emphasizing action. While the middle section may drag a bit, the climactic sequence aboard a speeding train concludes the film on a strong note. Memorable set pieces such as the renowned CIA break-in, where Cruise skillfully hangs over a pressurized floor in complete silence for an intense 10 minutes, showcase both suspense and enjoyment. Notably, "Mission: Impossible" introduces Luther (Rhames), a recurring character in subsequent films, and Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny), who reappears in "Dead Reckoning."

Mission: Impossible II (2000)

" Mission: Impossible II " is often regarded as the weakest installment in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise. It deviates from the typical "Mission: Impossible" feel and fails to provide significant character development for our main protagonist, Ethan Hunt. Instead, it functions more like James Bond, and lacks the cleverness of its counterparts.

In this film, Ethan's mission involves stopping a madman named Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) from using a deadly virus for financial gain. To achieve his goal, Ethan recruits and falls in love with Nyah Nordoff-Hall (Thandiwe Newton), Sean's former lover, creating a complicated love triangle that adds some much-needed tension to the story. While Ethan assembles a team consisting of Luther and a helicopter pilot named Billy Baird, he predominantly handles the mission on his own. The film heavily revolves around Tom Cruise, with the actor stealing the spotlight and leaving little for his co-stars to do apart from admiring his character's greatness.

Directed by action maestro John Woo, "MI:2" features his signature style, which doesn't align well with the established "Mission: Impossible" formula. The film, as noted, embraces a more James Bond-like approach, with stunning car chases, stylized gun battles, extravagant explosions, and doves ... lots of doves (a typical Woo flourish). While the spectacle is undeniably entertaining, the film doesn't contribute significantly to the overall narrative of the franchise. As such, viewers could easily skip "Mission: Impossible II" and proceed directly to "Mission: Impossible III" without feeling like they've missed crucial plot or character developments.

Mission: Impossible III (2006)

After a significant gap, Tom Cruise teamed up with J.J. Abrams for " Mission: Impossible III ," delivering a remarkable chapter that captured the essence of the original TV show. Here, Ethan Hunt retains his role as the primary leader and point man, but he also enlists the support of a colorful IMF crew consisting of Luther, Zhen Li (Maggie Q), and Declan Gormley (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers). Notably, the introduction of Benji, played by Simon Pegg, leaves a lasting impact and secures his place in later sequels. Together, this diverse team must work together to defeat Owen Davian, portrayed brilliantly by Philip Seymour Hoffman, who emerges as — and remains — one of the franchise's most memorable villains. Their mission is to prevent Davian from acquiring a mysterious device known as the Rabbit's Foot.

"Mission: Impossible III" offers well-executed action sequences, cleverly crafted set pieces, and the expected array of disguises, twists, and double-crosses. What sets this film apart is the emotional core that Abrams adds by emphasizing Ethan's relationship with his love interest, Julia, played by Michelle Monaghan. The film creates a more engaging narrative than any seen in the first two entries by elevating the personal stakes beyond the usual world-threatening scenarios. While Cruise doesn't perform any acts of derring-do here, he and Abrams work hard to make Ethan a character worth rooting for.

Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol (2011)

Despite giving the franchise a fresh coat of paint, "Mission: Impossible III" didn't exactly ignite the box office, grossing just under $400 million worldwide — the least amount of money earned by any chapter in the series. No matter, five years later, Cruise returned with a fresh set of faces for Brad Bird's " Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol " and took the spy saga to dazzling new heights. Literally. This is the one where Cruise scales the Burj Khalifa and delivers the first of many insane stunts that now define the franchise. Oh sure, we marveled at the actor's rock-climbing and motorcycle abilities in "Mission: Impossible II," but seeing Cruise scale the 160-plus story building remains a thrilling spectacle to behold more than a decade later.

As for the rest of the film, "Ghost Protocol" lacks the energy of its predecessor or the psychological intrigue of Brian De Palma's original, but there's still plenty to admire here. Bird ensures supporting players like Benji, Brandt (Jeremy Renner), and Carter (Paula Patton) meaningfully contribute in the exercise, allowing them to connect with Ethan personally. On a negative note, the villains, played by Michael Nyqvist, Samuli Edelmann, and Léa Seydoux, fail to leave much of an impression, and the plot feels rather rudimentary.

No matter, "Ghost Protocol" introduces elements that figure prominently later on, making it a pivotal entry for fans of the franchise.

Mission: Impossible -- Rogue Nation (2015)

" Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation " remains my favorite franchise entry thus far. Brimming with hard-hitting fight sequences, a smartly executed plot, incredible stunts, and Joe Kraemer's pulse-pounding score, the fifth installment in the venerable spy series rates as an absolute blast from start to finish. Here, everything comes together and forms a masterful piece of popcorn entertainment that gets better with each viewing. 

Returning cast members Cruise, Pegg, Renner, and Rhames provide important continuity, but Rebecca Ferguson serves as the film's secret weapon. She swoops in and all but steals the show as the resourceful and cunning Ilsa Faust. The actress shines alongside Cruise and creates a nuanced character that has understandably become an audience favorite. Ilsa works for Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), a former MI6 agent man hellbent on assembling a terrorist organization known as The Syndicate. Naturally, Ethan must stop Lane before he attains the resources necessary to complete his devious plan, all the while evading CIA director Alan Hunley (a wonderful Alec Baldwin), and disregarding his obvious attraction to Ilsa. 

Under the direction of Christopher McQuarrie, "Rogue Nation" represents the pinnacle of the "Mission: Impossible" series. The film opens with a breathtaking prologue featuring Cruise hanging from the side of an A400M cargo plane, setting the stage for the thrilling action that follows. From a high-speed motorcycle chase to a tension-filled finale, this sequel delivers on all fronts, leaving audiences thoroughly satisfied. With key characters like Ilsa, Luther, Benji, Lane, and Hunley carrying over to the next installment, this is one mission you definitely must accept. 

Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

How do you top a sensational movie like "Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation?" Why, you produce " Mission: Impossible – Fallout ," of course, better known as the one where Tom Cruise broke his foot whilst jumping from a roof. This is also the chapter where the daredevil actor leaps onto a helicopter and risks his life all for our entertainment. 

While "Fallout" may not surpass "Rogue Nation" in terms of overall quality due to some plot contrivances and the handling of Henry Cavill's character, August Walker, no one can deny the jaw-dropping action on display. Director Christopher McQuarrie and Cruise continue to push the boundaries of stuntwork, solidifying their place in cinematic history. The film's third act alone is a masterclass in sweat-inducing tension and exhilaration.

Cruise remains a magnetic presence, and Rebecca Ferguson shines as Ilsa Faust, even with a slightly reduced role. Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames bring heart and soul to their returning characters, Alec Baldwin impresses as the new IMF director, Sean Harris exudes villainy as Solomon Lane, and Vanessa Kirby adds intrigue as a mysterious handler. "Fallout" can be viewed as a direct sequel to "Rogue Nation," with plot points and character arcs that seamlessly flow into "Dead Reckoning," and aside from a few minor nitpicks, it remains one of the best action movies of the last decade.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

One fascinating aspect of each "Mission: Impossible" film is its ability to function as a self-contained story while leaving room for future installments. In the event of any film's failure, Tom Cruise could easily step away, content with the previous entry serving as a fitting conclusion to Ethan Hunt's journey. "Mission: Impossible III" sees Ethan heading into the sunset with Julia, seemingly retiring from his spy life. "Ghost Protocol" concludes with Ethan disappearing into the darkness, choosing to continue his IMF career alone. The final moments of "Fallout" allow Ethan to bid farewell to Julia and embrace his connection with Ilsa. While these endings are not definitive closures, they provide enough resolution for audiences to move forward.

However, with "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One," the franchise presents its first two-part story, with the second half set to release in Summer 2024. Once again, this ambitious new chapter, centered around concerns about artificial intelligence, provides its own self-contained adventure. Yet, that hasn't stopped Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise from teasing plans for a ninth installment . How long can they continue this journey? It doesn't matter, as long as the quality remains consistently high.

At some point, it would be enjoyable to witness the return of every surviving hero and villain from the franchise for a grand finale akin to "Avengers: Endgame." Who would be crazy enough to turn down that mission?

• Cast & crew

Mission: Impossible 8

The 8th entry in the long running Mission Impossible franchise. The 8th entry in the long running Mission Impossible franchise. The 8th entry in the long running Mission Impossible franchise.

• Christopher McQuarrie
• Bruce Geller
• Erik Jendresen
• Hannah Waddingham
• Vanessa Kirby

• The White Widow

• Secretary Of Defence Bernstein

• Jasper Briggs

• Luther Stickell

• Eugene Kittridge

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

New and Upcoming Action Movies & Series

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia Production on the 7th and 8th installments were planned to be filmed back to back. This changed after the 7th completed filming, due to Tom Cruise having to leave to do promotion for the Top Gun sequel, " Top Gun: Maverick (2022) ".
• Connections Follows Mission: Impossible (1996)
• Soundtracks The Mission: Impossible Theme Written by Lalo Schifrin
• When will Mission: Impossible 8 be released? Powered by Alexa
• May 23, 2025 (United States)
• United States
• United Kingdom
• Official Franchise Site
• Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part Two
• South Africa
• Paramount Pictures
• Skydance Media
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Dolby Atmos

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed.

All Mission: Impossible Movies in Order (and Where to Watch Them in India)

Shaurya Singh Thapa

Official JustWatch writer

Tom Cruise has endured as one of Hollywood’s most active and daring action stars, thanks to the many high-profile stunts he has performed for the Mission: Impossible franchise. However, the Mission: Impossible movies are much more than just the action. From the first Mission: Impossible movie in 1996 to the current sequels, the franchise has also revolutionized the spy thriller genre in Hollywood.

If you wish to watch all the Mission: Impossible movies in order, we have got you covered with a guide on where to stream them all. This JustWatch streaming guide shows you the latest streaming offers for viewers in India, as well as any options to watch the Mission Impossible franchise legally for free online.

Based on the TV series of the same name, the Mission: Impossible movies revolve around the exploits of Ethan Hunt, an agent working for the fictional Impossible Mission Force (IMF). All eight Mission: Impossible movies star Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, with the actor also producing each one and performing his own stunts. Recurring characters throughout the franchise include Ethan Hunt’s trusted IMF accomplices like Benji (Simon Pegg) and Luther (Ving Rhames). From Rogue Nation onwards, the ex-MI6 agent Isla Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) also became a regular face of the franchise.

Several high-profile directors have helmed the Mission: Impossible movies. Brian DePalma ( Scarface , Carrie ) directed the first movie while action genre veteran John Woo ( Face/Off , Silent Night ) directed Mission: Impossible 2. JJ Abrams ( Star Trek , Star Wars Episode VII ), directed Mission: Impossible III while Brad Bird ( The Incredibles , The Iron Giant ) directed the fourth movie, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. The fourth movie notably had a few scenes set in India, even featuring popular Bollywood star Anil Kapoor in a supporting role. Ghost Protocol marked a watershed moment in the franchise, upping the scale of its stunts and action sequences. Christopher McQuarrie ( Top Gun: Maverick ) then took on filmmaking duties and directed three Mission Impossible movies so far (Rogue Nation, Fallout, Dead Reckoning Part One). Under McQuarrie’s direction, Cruise performed jaw-dropping practical stunts like clinging on to a flying airplane and riding a motorcycle off a cliff (with only a parachute to save him).

How to watch the Mission Impossible movies in order

You can watch the Mission: Impossible movies chronologically by watching them in release order. Unlike similar franchises, there are no spin-offs or prequels that can change the viewing order, and every movie was released in chronological order. However, there are flashback sequences in specific entries, like Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, filling in for past events.

Mission: Impossible 

Mission: Impossible II

Mission: impossible iii.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol 

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation 

Mission: Impossible - Fallout 

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

Mission : Impossible 8

How can I watch Mission Impossible movies online?

To keep you up to date with Mission: Impossible movies, we have gathered all the necessary information you need to stream them in India. We have arranged the Mission: Impossible movies below in order of their release date, including all offers to stream, buy, and rent them.

Mission: Impossible

When Ethan Hunt, the leader of a crack espionage team whose perilous operation has gone awry with no explanation, discovers that a mole has penetrated the CIA, he's surprised to learn that he's the No. 1 suspect. To clear his name, Hunt now must ferret out the real double agent and, in the process, even the score.

With computer genius Luther Stickell at his side and a beautiful thief on his mind, agent Ethan Hunt races across Australia and Spain to stop a former IMF agent from unleashing a genetically engineered biological weapon called Chimera. This mission, should Hunt choose to accept it, plunges him into the center of an international crisis of terrifying magnitude.

Retired from active duty, and training recruits for the Impossible Mission Force, agent Ethan Hunt faces the toughest foe of his career: Owen Davian, an international broker of arms and information, who is as cunning as he is ruthless. Davian emerges to threaten Hunt and all that he holds dear -- including the woman Hunt loves.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Ethan Hunt and his team are racing against time to track down a dangerous terrorist named Hendricks, who has gained access to Russian nuclear launch codes and is planning a strike on the United States. An attempt to stop him ends in an explosion causing severe destruction to the Kremlin and the IMF to be implicated in the bombing, forcing the President to disavow them. No longer being aided by the government, Ethan and his team chase Hendricks around the globe, although they might still be too late to stop a disaster.

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

Ethan and team take on their most impossible mission yet—eradicating 'The Syndicate', an International and highly-skilled rogue organization committed to destroying the IMF.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout

When an IMF mission ends badly, the world is faced with dire consequences. As Ethan Hunt takes it upon himself to fulfill his original briefing, the CIA begin to question his loyalty and his motives. The IMF team find themselves in a race against time, hunted by assassins while trying to prevent a global catastrophe.

Ethan Hunt and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the world's fate at stake and dark forces from Ethan's past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan must consider that nothing can matter more than his mission—not even the lives of those he cares about most.

Mission: Impossible 8

The eighth installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise.

The ‘Mission: Impossible’ Movies Are as Personal as Tom Cruise Gets

W hen Mission: Impossible III raced into theaters in the summer of 2006, it arrived with a fireball of controversy at its back. This was, after all, the first starring role for Tom Cruise after he blew up his public image the previous year. By now, the details of how the actor’s reputation imploded are the stuff of PR-firm legend, a cautionary tale for the ages. There was the row with Matt Lauer on the Today Show , and the appearance on Oprah where he leapt on the couch to convey his supposed ardor for girlfriend (and soon-to-be fiancée) Katie Holmes—a performance that made him look more unhinged than besotted. And there were the increasingly unsavory revelations about his role in the Church of Scientology, which would continue to shift into unflattering focus in the years to come, spilling from the pages of Going Clear .

M:I III was supposed to make us forget all that. But the funny thing about the movie was how much it seemed to reflect, and even channel, the conflicts of Cruise’s very bad year. The plot, in which Cruise’s Ethan Hunt has to stop a nefarious arms dealer who’s kidnapped his wife (Michelle Monaghan), essentially collides the personal and professional lives of the hero. Back in 2006, as we watched Cruise’s secret agent sprint across rooftops to save his true love, it was hard not to think of that notorious bounce on the couch. We were seeing devotion, the power source of any wife guy , converted into pure kinetic energy.

Art imitates life fairly often in the Mission: Impossible movies. On the (glorious) surface, there’s nothing remotely personal about these finely tuned set-piece machines, which send Hunt and his team of fellow espionage experts through an escalating series of life-or-death dilemmas. Yet they remain passion projects for Cruise—and, in the control he’s exerted over the shape and direction of the series, a way for him to express himself. Parallels to his real life are as inevitable as they may be accidental; that they’re all over the latest, seventh entry in the series, Mission: Impossible–Dead Reckoning Part One , is a reminder of how consistently the series has operated as a shadow meditation on Cruise's time in the spotlight.

The franchise has been the backbone of Cruise’s career—and maybe his career rehabilitation—for decades. To survive the tabloid scandals that threatened his marquee appeal, he closed the window to his private life and reinvented himself as a tireless entertainer, devoting himself to his craft and his fans. Nearly two decades later, he’s committed mostly to action vehicles that lean on his movie-star charisma more than his chops.

To that end, Ethan Hunt has always been an ideally uncomplicated role for the star, at least in theory: He’s a figure of idealized heroism, largely devoid of personality traits beyond a virtuous refusal to accept defeat or stop at anything to save the day. We’re meant to look at him and see all of Cruise’s most attractive qualities—his good looks, his charm, his work ethic—and none of his unattractive baggage.

Over the years, Cruise has steadily collapsed any discernible distinction between man and character. The astonishing stunts he insists on performing himself—like that motorcycle leap off the mountain in Dead Reckoning , heavily featured in its promotional materials —are more than extra publicity. They’re also a rather extreme form of method acting, in which Cruise fuses his own exertion with Hunt’s; there’s an extra layer of disbelief and excitement to the agent climbing the world’s tallest building or leaping out of an airplane, because we see, and know, that Cruise is doing it for real. That makes the Mission: Impossible movies almost like documentaries of their star’s reckless determination—and, in a sense, veiled self-portraits of a guy willing to do anything to get the job done.

Cruise’s love life, now an indefinite question mark, looms over Mission: Impossible. If Part 3 vaguely evoked the difficulty in balancing his responsibility to “home” and “office,” the following installment, 2011’s Ghost Protocol , arguably extended the metaphor further. Here, Hunt has broken things off with Monaghan’s character, nobly saying goodbye to his wife to protect her from exposure. That the movie’s production dovetailed with the very messy dissolution of Cruise’s marriage to Holmes only underscored its resonance as a sentimental, maybe self-flattering mirror of what was going on beyond the movie cameras, in the world Cruise hid from the world.

Hunt has remained pointedly single in the sequels since Ghost Protocol , in parallel to Cruise’s own perpetual bachelorhood. The closest Mission: Impossible has come in its later entries to giving him a love interest is Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), the MI6 agent introduced in the fifth film, Rogue Nation (2015). Ilsa is Hunt’s perfect match, his equal: a heroine every bit as determined and competent as him. That she and Hunt are always dancing around each other, never quite consummating their mutual attraction, lends their quasi-romance a strong melancholy. It’s awfully alluring to see her as Cruise’s dream of a perfect partner, always just out of reach. That Ilsa is basically a female version of him is perhaps revealing.

All of the M:I movies have a self-reflexive quality, encouraging us to process them as tantalizing glimpses into the mind and heart of their headliner. But Dead Reckoning might be the one most plainly freighted with subtext. That begins with how it seems to internalize Cruise’s own vain, mythologizing self-image as the “Last Movie Star,” fighting to save Hollywood from itself. The film’s villain, after all, is an evil, sentient algorithm. Is Cruise abstracting his resistance to the streaming machine , reconfiguring Hunt as a symbolic savior of the endangered movie-theater experience? The interpretative possibilities don’t end there. The Entity, as the computer virus is called, could also be a manifestation of the industry’s reliance on digital spectacle, in contrast to the physical stunt work Cruise prefers.

In a more psychodramatic way, Dead Reckoning also traipses back into relationship matters. The other villain, the mysterious Gabriel (Esai Morales), at one point sneers that Hunt uses women. It’s an accusation that stings our hero, and which uncomfortably echoes some of the real-life claims made about the church’s role in matchmaking for its most famous convert. It’s probably a stretch to see anything truly confessional here; the arc of Dead Reckoning ’s concluding chapter, due next summer, will probably be a refutation of the bad guy’s words, a defiance of his character assassination. But there’s no denying that a certain cloud of guilt hangs over the movie, especially when Hunt is forced to choose between saving one woman or another.

And if you really want to read between the lines, what does the Impossible Mission Force really represent? It’s a secret org that claims to be fighting to save the world from dangerous people; demands its members cut all ties with family and friends, and devote themselves fully to the cause; and which will disavow (and stalk) suspected traitors at the drop of a hat. In Dead Reckoning , the temptation to draw connections only intensifies. We learn, for instance, that Hunt and his team were all essentially blackmailed into joining the IMF, with prison the only alternative to "accepting the mission." And much of the movie revolves around Hunt’s dogged attempts to recruit a new member, the pickpocket Grace (Hayley Atwell)—a task he goes about with some degree of ambivalence, even ruefully. There’s a wealth of potential, coded meaning in Hunt’s love-hate relationship with his employers, whose inconsistent support forces him to constantly go rogue.

Press Cruise about any of these real-life parallels, and he’d probably evade: The star is nothing if not committed to the image of his career as a source of apolitical fun—the platonic ideal of escapism, as it’s traditionally been defined. But he’s been making these movies for more than 25 years, and not passively. His creative control over them may be a form of diligent image management, but it’s also allowed inescapable hints of autobiography to creep into their margins, maybe betraying how Cruise sees himself—or how he’d prefer to be seen.

And in a way, the impersonality of the Mission: Impossible movies is its own kind of personal touch: To watch Ethan Hunt shed any vestiges of a life in service of the mission is to see a phantom reflection of Cruise’s own disappearance into the full-time role of a showbiz showman, always wearing the mask of a perpetual smile for the flashbulbs.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning' ending: You won't believe who dies (Spoilers!)

Spoiler alert! The following post discusses important plot points and the ending of “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” so beware if you haven’t seen it yet.

In the latest “Mission: Impossible” movie, Tom Cruise’s superspy Ethan Hunt keeps the world safe yet again – at least for now, and things aren’t looking great! – but also gets put through the emotional wringer more than usual.

Director Chris McQuarrie’s “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” (in theaters now), the seventh outing in the action franchise, teams Ethan and his loyal friends Benji (Simon Pegg) and Luther (Ving Rhames) with skilled thief Grace (Hayley Atwell) to stop a rogue artificial intelligence called The Entity. Two halves of a key are integral to either destroying or controlling the AI, and Ethan’s mission – which he totally chooses to accept – is not only to get it but also find out what it unlocks. 

Let’s break down the action-packed finale, plus who’s joining the team and who’s out of the picture permanently:

What happens at the end of the new ‘Mission: Impossible’ movie?

A race between Ethan’s team and the mysterious Gabriel (Esai Morales) – The Entity’s right-hand man in the real world and a guy from Ethan’s past – leads to a showdown on the runaway Orient Express, where a business deal to obtain the key goes down. Gabriel winds up with the key but during a nasty fight on the top of the speeding transport, Gabriel escapes and jumps to safety before detonating a bridge that the train is quickly approaching.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Good news is Ethan secretly swiped the key from Gabriel but bad news is they have to navigate train cars falling to their doom before ultimately being saved by Gabriel’s assassin henchwoman Paris (Pom Klementieff), left wounded after her boss tried to kill her. Paris tells Ethan that the key is to The Entity’s source code on a Russian submarine sitting at the bottom of the icy Bering Sea, Ethan parachutes out before the authorities can grab him, and meets up with Benji because they have an underwater mission in their near future.

Who’s the newest member of the team in ‘Dead Reckoning’?

Grace was hired by black marketeer White Widow (Vanessa Kirby) to obtain one of the key halves, but surviving a bonkers cars chase in Rome, almost dying in Venice and being embraced by the good guys leads the criminal to (somewhat reluctantly) put her faith and safety in Ethan’s hands. He recruits her to his Impossible Mission Force crew and at the end, when Ethan bolts and she’s face to face with CIA Director Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny), Grace accepts this new role and he recognizes her skills that he can use.

She doesn’t become a hero as much as “she just grows a conscience,” Atwell tells USA TODAY. “She wants to believe that (these) are the right people to trust and for her to actually be part of something that's more than just self-serving. And it's now sacrificial because the cost of caring about someone is the risk of losing them now is greater. It's like her heart thaws and she becomes more humane.”

'Be the student': Hayley Atwell talks lessons from Tom Cruise in 'Mission: Impossible 7'

Does anyone important die in ‘Mission: Impossible 7’?

Well, the American director of national intelligence (played by Cary Elwes) is assassinated by Gabriel, though he was a bad guy who wanted The Entity. But longtime fans of the franchise get a major gut punch in “Dead Reckoning”: Because he’s all about making Ethan suffer, Gabriel promises that either Grace or ex-MI6 agent Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), a love interest and helpful ally to Ethan, will die. Ilsa saves Grace and confronts Gabriel in Venice, taking out her sword to face the knife-wielding villain, but he fatally sinks his blade into her chest. Ethan sprints along the canals though he doesn’t get to Ilsa in time to save her.

Ilsa’s death was “a really tough decision,” McQuarrie says. “But it was one we knew we had to make for the movie to have stakes and for the movie to remain ‘Mission.’ 'Mission' is primarily Ethan's journey (and) there is this continuum that the people closest to him, he tends to lose them. It was a really tricky conversation for us to have, and we knew that there would be some reactions to that, but we also knew this is the reality of the world that's been created over seven movies.”

'Mission: Impossible 7' review: Tom Cruise fights AI in fun, far-fetched 'Dead Reckoning'

Is there a ‘Dead Reckoning’ post-credits scene?

Nope! Unlike superhero movies and other blockbusters, the “Mission: Impossible” films have avoided teases and stingers and that tradition continues with the new adventure. But an action-packed climax and a lingering shot of a sunken sub are really all you need to get psyched for “Dead Reckoning Part Two” (out June 28, 2024).