‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 2’: Everything We Know So Far

Editor’s Note: The following contains full spoilers for ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning’Fans of the Mission: Impossible franchise have been eagerly awaiting the next chapter in Ethan Hunt’s story in Mission: Impossible 8.

It’s honestly amazing that the Mission: Impossible series has been able to up the ante with every installment since the original 1996 film. Each installment somehow ends up being more exciting than the last and adds its own flavor of action spectacle to keep the franchise fresh and exciting. With a solid foundation formed by Mission: Impossible 1996, we got high-speed motorcycle chases in Mission: Impossible II, a terrifying villain in Mission: Impossible III, a Burj Khalifa-scaling triumph in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, a stealthy espionage treat in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, and a gripping nuclear prevention tale in Mission: Impossible – Fallout.

Ethan Hunt’s latest mission, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, might be the best installment in the long-running series yet. In a surprisingly topical tale about the dangers of Artificial Intelligence, Ethan and his team are tasked with finding and destroying a rogue AI known only as The Entity. The resulting globe-trotting journey leads to some incredible action setpieces and more than a few shocking twists and turns.

While the second half of the epic search for The Entity undoubtedly makes Mission: Impossible 8 one of the most anticipated projects of 2025, although moviegoers will have to wait a bit longer than expected for Ethan Hunt’s next mission. To learn more about the second part’s cast, release date, production status, and more, here is everything we know so far about Mission: Impossible 8 (queue fuse-lighting sequence).

Editor’s Note: This piece was updated on April 24, 2024.

Does ‘Mission: Impossible 8’ Have a Release Date?

Mission: Impossible 8 is set to release on Friday, May 25, 2025. The film has gone through numerous delays, having previously been scheduled for release on August 5, 2022, November 4, 2022, July 7, 2023, and June 28, 2024.

While the initial two delays were because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused both Top Gun: Maverick and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning to constantly be delayed as well, the latest setback was because filming had been halted by the SAG-AFTRA strike.

Will ‘Mission: Impossible 8’ Be in Theaters?

There’s a reason why Tom Cruise’s catchphrase of “See you at the movies” has become so prevalent. With Top Gun: Maverick and the Mission: Impossible franchise being such massive box office hits, you better believe that Mission: Impossible 8 will be premiering exclusively in a movie theater near you. After the previous movie lost its IMAX screens after one week due to Oppenheimer, Mission: Impossible 8 will be receiving a three-week IMAX exclusive release.

After the film’s theatrical run concludes, Mission: Impossible 8 will more than likely be joining the rest of the franchise entries on Paramount+ for a streaming release.

If, by chance, you still haven’t seen Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, you can stream the movie on Paramount+.

Watch on Paramount+

Who Is Returning for ‘Mission: Impossible 8’?

Unsurprisingly, global action superstar Tom Cruise will once again be reprising his role as IMF Agent Ethan Hunt. The actor’s world-famous tenacity for doing his own stunts has made him one of modern cinema’s most famous figures. Also set to return to assist Ethan in his quest for The Entity are Captain America: The First Avenger standout Hayley Atwell as Grace, Hot Fuzz star Simon Pegg as Benji, and Pulp Fiction icon Ving Rhames as Luther. Also on the cast list is Doctor Sleep star Rebecca Ferguson as the fan favorite Ilsa Faust, but given how her character’s story goes in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, that may not be the case (unless there is a flashback sequence or Ilsa’s death was a fakeout).

Other characters expected to return are the antagonists of the film, such as Essai Morales (La Bamba) as Gabriel, Vanessa Kirby (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw) as The White Queen, and Pom Klementieff (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2) as Paris, the latter of whom may return as a redeemed ally after barely surviving her wounds in Part 1. Also likely returning are Part 1‘s deuteragonists, including Shea Whigham‘s (Kong: Skull Island) CIA agent Jasper Briggs, Greg Tarzan Davis (Top Gun: Maverick) as CIA agent Degas, Charles Parnell (Top Gun: Maverick) as NRO, and Henry Czerny (Clear and Present Danger), reprising the character of Kittridge, who debuted all the way back in the first Mission: Impossible. Kittridge isn’t the only familiar face from a past film returning this time either, as Rolf Saxon (Tomorrow Never Dies) is reprising his role as William Donloe – another character who hasn’t been seen since the first film. Also likely returning in flashbacks is Mariela Garriga (NCIS) as Marie – the mysterious woman from Ethan’s past who Gabriel killed.

Who are the New Cast Members in ‘Mission: Impossible 8’?

The returning cast is already massive, but even more new faces are joining the second chapter. This includes Emmy Award-Winner Nick Offerman (The Last of Us) as Sydney, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Holt McCallany (Mindhunter) as Bernstein, the Secretary of Defense. Also joining the cast in undisclosed roles are Emmy-Award Winner Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso), Academy Award nominee Janet McTeer (The Menu), Lucy Tulugarjuk, Katy O’Brian (Love Lies Bleeding), and Tramell Tillman (Severance).

What Will ‘Mission: Impossible 8’ Be About?

While an official plot synopsis has not yet been released, Mission: Impossible 8 will almost certainly be continuing Ethan Hunt’s search for The Entity, even though the world’s governments and other third parties are trying to stop him. Ethan is also likely seeking retribution against Gabriel, who has now murdered two people very close to him. It’s an epic conclusion that will likely see Ethan bring along old friends and potentially meet new enemies.

The film was initially set to be titled Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two, but this is now subject to change. Only time will tell if Paramount decides to remove the “Part One” from the seventh installment.

Who Is Making ‘Mission: Impossible 8’?

Much of the behind-the-camera crew from Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning will be returning for Mission: Impossible 8. This includes writer/director Christopher McQuarrie, who has become a franchise veteran after directing Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation and Mission: Impossible – Fallout prior to the Dead Reckoning films. McQuarrie also shares screenwriting credit with Band of Brothers scribe Erik Jendresen.

Also attached to return are composer Lorne Balfe (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves), cinematographer Fraser Taggart (Robot Overlords), editor Eddie Hamilton (Top Gun: Maverick), and production designer Gary Freeman (The Witches).

When and Where Did ‘Mission: Impossible 8’ Film?

In an interview with Collider, McQuarrie revealed that most of Part 2 has already been completed, but there are still some major set pieces that have not been filmed yet. However, production was not able to be completed before the initiation of the SAG-AFTRA strike. Filming has since picked back up, and photos from the set made their way online in late March 2024.