Mission: Impossible Dropped A New Look At The Eighth And (Probably) Final Movie, And I Was Surprised At How Many Fans Had The Same Comment

After production delays, an industry-wide strike, and a title change, the eighth Mission: Impossible film is finally heading to the big screen. The film, titled M:I - The Final Reckoning, is rumored to be the last installment in the decades-spanning franchise, or at least the last installment with Tom Cruise at the center. While fans are excited to see what this film has in store, it seems like they are caught up on one detail, and it seemed to dominate the comments underneath the recently released new look at the production.

Empire Magazine recently published one of the first stills from the latest Mission film. The image in question doesn’t offer too many details that could hint at the plot but rather shows Mission: Impossible cast members Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell and Tom Cruise intensely looking at each other. It seems to suggest that this trio will likely take center stage in the film, despite Atwell’s character only being introduced in Dead Reckoning. You can see the photo posted on Instagram below:

While I'd argue that Hayley Atwell is a great addition to the cast, and has uniquely strong chemistry with Cruise, some fans aren't sold. Her character, Grace, seems to be the spiritual replacement for Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa, who died towards the end of Dead Reckoning. Fans still seem upset with this storytelling decision, especially considering Ilsa was introduced in M:I 5 and was a central character throughout three films. Her not being present for this film still feels like a strange choice, and a lot of fans feel the same. You can see some of their comments below:

• Marvin__pe: Why did they let Ilsa die suddenly? Did she have an argument with Tom Cruise? Or why was she replaced by Hayley?
• Paulobaratapereira: still baffled that a franchise nearing it’s end chose to kill a female lead character with whom the audience had 3 movies to built a relationship with for someone we literally dgaf.
• The_positive_fan: Still hurts not seeing Ilsa there…
• Aine.oreilly: It's weird that we are supposed to be invested in "Grace" when she's so obviously a last minute replacement for Ilsa, who we had 3 movies in, and was a well-loved character
• Daniel.p.indy: Justice for Ilsa… the producers killed her

It’s understandable why fans are upset. Rebecca Ferguson is excellent as the character, and she offered a new, modern take on a female heroine. Maybe the creative team just felt that her story had come to an end and wanted to raise the stakes for the last film. It could simply be the producers way of telling the audience that even the most beloved character’s lives are at risk here, and no character is guaranteed to make it to the end of a Mission film.

It should also be said that this wasn't the first time that one of Ethan Hunt's love interests was written out of the franchise, as Michelle Monaghan and Thandiwe Newton both were introduced as major characters initially, only to be replaced in future films.

The theory that Rebecca Ferguson and Tom Cruise had a disagreement also seems unlikely. The two have consistently expressed admiration for each other, with Ferguson even stating that she never gets tired of talking about Cruise. She also has said that his perfectionist mentality and Cruise’s positive outlook on sets is something she plans on taking with her to other sets. This certainly doesn’t sound like two co-stars that didn’t get along or an unhappy production that led to Ferguson getting killed off.

Which seems the most likely, aside from the creative choice, is that Ferguson may have no longer wanted to be a part of such a demanding production like Mission. She did three films and is now committed to another demanding franchise via the Dune films. Whatever drove the decision, it’s disappointing for fans, but the M:I films do ask a lot from their cast. However, it does seem like Hayley Atwell is still up for the task and, hopefully, fans can find a way to embrace her as we move into the likely final installment of Mission: Impossible.

Fans will be able to see Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning when it hits theaters on May 23, 2025. You can also check out previous Mission films now with a Paramount+ subscription. For more information on other exciting titles heading to cinemas and streaming this year, make sure to consult our 2025 movie release schedule.