Top Gun 3 is in a better position to succeed without Tom Cruise than future Mission: Impossible movies. Both Tom Cruise franchises have returned in a significant capacity in recent years as the action star has made it his mission to make entertaining action blockbusters that draw audiences to theaters. Mission: Impossible – Fallout was heralded as one of the best action movies ever made upon its release in 2018 and allowed Paramount to announce plans for two more films. Meanwhile, Top Gun: Maverick’s long-awaited debut in 2022 elevated the franchise to new heights as Cruise returned to one of his most iconic roles.
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Despite the recent success of the Top Gun and Mission: Impossible franchises, Tom Cruise’s future with each of them is uncertain. It has been reported that Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 and Part 2 are envisioned as the end of Ethan Hunt’s story. Cruise has similarly been wary about returning as Maverick for Top Gun 3 unless it was for a great story. There are currently no confirmed plans for either franchise to continue without Tom Cruise’s involvement, but their popularity means there will be plenty of efforts to see them continue. Top Gun 3 is already set up to succeed without Cruise, but Mission: Impossible is not.
Related: Mission: Impossible 7 & 8 Could Continue A Tom Cruise Box Office Record
Mission: Impossible Tried To Replace Tom Cruise But Failed
The Mission: Impossible franchise has already tried to replace Tom Cruise in the past, but that mission failed. When it came time to make Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Jeremy Renner was cast as William Brandt and pegged as the new potential franchise lead. The plan was for Renner to replace Cruise as the new face of the franchise. It was an example of Hollywood attempting to make Jeremy Renner the face of an existing action franchise, something that the Bourne movies then also attempted to pull off. But, it quickly became clear that the Mission: Impossible movies needed Tom Cruise to stay successful.
Instead of Mission: Impossible 4 being where Ethan Hunt’s story ended, Tom Cruise elevated the franchise to new heights (literally and figuratively) to make himself even more essential to the franchise. His daring stunt of scaling the tallest building in the world became the type of action sequence audiences have come to expect from him and the Mission: Impossible movies. As a result, there was no chance that the franchise would dump him and continue pushing Renner as the new lead. The reaction was so swift, in fact, that Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation only gave Jeremy Renner a minor role and he’s been absent since.
Mission: Impossible Doesn’t Have A Clear Replacement For Cruise
Not only did the Mission: Impossible movies get rid of Jeremy Renner, but the recent films have not made much of an attempt to introduce a new Tom Cruise replacement option. Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa Faust is a fan-favorite character, but she’s not expected to lead the franchise whenever Cruise exits. Hayley Atwell’s character in Mission: Impossible 7 could potentially be the answer. However, it is far too early to tell. There was also some hope that Henry Cavill could become the new Mission: Impossible franchise lead, but that became impossible after his villainous turn and death in Mission: Impossible – Fallout.
The effort for Mission: Impossible to replace Tom Cruise might not have begun in earnest, but the franchise’s lack of existing characters who can take the lead is noticeable. The franchise hasn’t brought in a younger action star on the rise, such as Dylan O’Brien, who could potentially become the next face of Mission: Impossible. Instead of bringing a hot-shot IMF agent into the fold who is clearly set up to take on a bigger role in the future, the Mission: Impossible franchise has been content including peers closer in age to Tom Cruise. It hasn’t hurt the quality of the movies being made, but it does impact the future.
Related: Can Mission Impossible Really Survive Without Tom Cruise?
Top Gun: Maverick Introduced Two New Potential Franchise Leads
Top Gun: Maverick did not have Mission: Impossible’s problem introducing a Tom Cruise replacement, as the sequel gave audiences two characters who could fill the void. The movie was built around Maverick returning to train a younger generation of pilots and the idea of passing the torch. While Maverick still plays a key role in saving the day during Top Gun: Maverick’s ending, the movie spends plenty of time introducing Rooster (Miles Teller) and Hangman (Glen Powell). The rival pilots are one of the film’s best parts, especially seeing how their dynamic changes and grows throughout the story, making both potential Top Gun franchise leads.
It is due to the success of Top Gun: Maverick and how well it establishes Rooster and Hangman that either or both of them could be the leads of Top Gun 3. Miles Teller and Glen Powell have both expressed a willingness to return for another installment. That allows Top Gun 3 to be a movie focused on Rooster and Hangman in the aftermath of Top Gun: Maverick and as they attempt to step out of Maverick’s shadow. Further exploring Rooster and Hangman’s lives and careers would be a welcomed direction for the franchise and confirm that the Top Gun franchise can continue without forcing Maverick back into action.
Will Top Gun 3 Ever Happen Without Tom Cruise?
Top Gun 3 has a better chance to succeed without Tom Cruise than Mission: Impossible, but that does not mean that the sequel is happening without him. It has been reported that Tom Cruise holds the cards in terms of whether Top Gun 3 happens or not. As a result, it would seem unlikely that the franchise star will agree to let the movie happen and then not play a part in some capacity. There is also the matter of audiences wanting to see more of Tom Cruise as Maverick after Top Gun: Maverick and the movie even setting up how he could return in Top Gun 3.
There is the possibility, though, that Top Gun 3 could happen without Tom Cruise in the lead role. He already has a very busy slate of movies in development that do not include a return as the Navy pilot. Since the star already agreed to have Top Gun: Maverick focus on a younger generation and introduce Rooster and Hangman, having them become the leads for Top Gun 3 could be part of his master plan for the franchise. This would allow Tom Cruise to play a small role in Top Gun 3 and keep the focus on Miles Teller and Glen Powell as the franchise’s new leads.
More: The Perfect Release Date For Top Gun 3 (But Will It Happen?)
Top Gun 3 Replacing Tom Cruise Is Much Easier Than Mission: Impossible
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