Mission: Impossible is a U.S. spy-action film franchise that began with Brian De Palma's Mission: Impossible in 1996, adapted from the 1966 to 1973 television series of the same name. The series has become closely identified with Tom Cruise as IMF agent Ethan Hunt, and its theatrical run now spans eight films through The Final Reckoning in 2025. The original TV series premiered on September 17, 1966 and ran until March 30, 1973, establishing the template of impossible odds, self-destructing messages, and elite espionage teams.
The core entries fans expect are Mission: Impossible (1996), Mission: Impossible 2 (2000), Mission: Impossible III (2006), Ghost Protocol (2011), Rogue Nation (2015), Fallout (2018), Dead Reckoning Part One (2023), and The Final Reckoning (2025). Fallout, which opened on July 27, 2018, stands as the franchise's top-grossing film. Each instalment has delivered signature stunts, from the Langley vault heist in 1996 to the Burj Khalifa climb in Ghost Protocol. With Paramount+ promoting all eight theatrical films as available to stream in 2026, the Mission: Impossible legacy continues to captivate audiences worldwide.