Will Glen Powell replace Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible?

WEB DESK: Glen Powell denied rumours that claimed he would replace Tom Cruise in the leading role of one of Hollywood’s biggest action franchises on Tuesday, with the American actor citing the Mission Impossible franchises stunts as the reason.

Mission Impossible is a long running franchise known for its high-octane action, which features daring stunts such as hanging off the side of a plane as it’s taking off or climbing the Burj Khalifa with only a single safety rope. And unlike other Hollywood mainstays, this franchise’s star likes doing the stunts himself.

Tom Cruise, who began starring as Ethan Hunt back in 1996, has no plans of ending his stint as the fearless spy despite the latest movie signalling a possible end to the saga. The first teaser trailer for ‘Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning’ released on Tuesday. As scenes of Cruise’s character Hunt running flickered on and off screen, ominous voices built the stakes for the latest installment in the franchise.

“Our lives are the sum of our actions,” said one voice, while another said “everything you’ve done had come to this.” Even Hunt himself at the end of the trailer says “I need you to trust me, one last time.”

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However, in 2023, Cruise stated that he wants to make films in the franchise for a long time, as he praised another actor with a prolific career who is still going despite his age. “Harrison Ford is a legend, I hope to be still going; I’ve got 20 years to catch up with him. I hope to keep making Mission: Impossible films until I’m his age.”

Whether or not the 62-year-old actions star gets his wish largely depends on whether or not the films continue to produce a return. The latest installment has a reported budget of around $400 million, meaning it will likely need to make $900 million to break even.

If the series does continue to be profitable, then Cruise will likely need to find a successor, which many believe could be Glen Powell. The American actor’s name is becoming increasingly familiar after being featured in films such as ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, in which he starred alongside Cruise.

However, its those aforementioned stunts that makes Powell believe he may not be given permission to fill that role.

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“My mom would never let me do that. It’s the worst gig in town, everybody knows that. It’s a death trap,” said Powell in a conversation with ESPN correspondent Pat McAfee.