Is Mission: Impossible 8 the Last in the Series? Full Spoilers Revealed

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*Warning: Full Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning spoilers ahead*

Ever since Brian De Palma launched the franchise with his 1996 original, not many action movie series have received as much critical praise as the Mission: Impossible films.

For several years, Tom Cruise has performed progressively daring stunts in movies that are inspired by the classic TV series from the 60s and 70s. These feats range from climbing the Burj Khalifa in Dubai to leaping off a cliff on a motorcycle while skydiving.

Currently, a fresh installment in the franchise is out, featuring Tom Cruise performing what could be his most daring stunt to date. This movie, marketed as the final chapter, concludes the series.

Although it hasn’t been absolutely verified yet, the series of indications before its release suggest strongly that this could be the concluding part, especially considering the movie’s The Last Confrontation.

Simultaneously, the movie takes care to address numerous unresolved plot points from past installments by reintroducing well-known characters and making references to prior events. This has led many fans to speculate that this might be the final chapter in the Impossible Mission Force’s cinematic journey.

What does the conclusion of the movie entail, and what are Tom Cruise’s thoughts regarding potential sequels or continuations? For a comprehensive understanding, keep reading below.

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Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning ending explained – full spoilers

The movie continues right where the last one, previously known as Dead Reckoning Part 1, left off. In this installment, the malevolent AI antagonist, the Entity, has grown even more powerful. It’s swiftly amassing control over the nuclear weapons of world powers, setting the stage for potential global catastrophe.

Initially, it’s explained that Ethan and his IMF team must employ a two-piece key they obtained in the previous movie to manage the Entity. This key grants them access to the source code, which resides inside a module submerged within the Sevastopol submarine that sank. Remarkably, this module turns out to be none other than Rabbit’s Foot, a mysterious artifact from Mission: Impossible 3 that has been a puzzle for long-time fans.

As a movie critic, I found myself intrigued by the revelation that the enigmatic character maintains a fortified hideout in South Africa, a fact that would later prove pivotal. Moving on, our protagonist Ethan, in tandem with his long-standing confidant Luther Stickell, devises a malicious software intended to sabotage the mysterious entity. Regrettably, this vital tool is swiped by none other than Gabriel, an adversary with connections to the entity, setting the stage for a dramatic turn of events. To thwart a potential catastrophe, Luther ultimately sacrifices himself in a selfless act to defuse a nuclear device that Gabriel had left behind.

Simultaneously, with assistance from his workmates and ex-CIA analyst William Donloe (who was prominently featured in the original movie), Ethan manages to locate the coordinates for the sunken Sevastopol. In a thrilling sequence, he plunges into the ocean and retrieves the crucial module. After a close call with danger and brushing with death, he emerges victorious and rejoins his team.

The strategy has shifted towards retrieving the Poison Pill and employing it to contain and ensnare the Entity on a tangible storage device. However, these seemingly impossible tasks seldom are straightforward, and we discover that for this operation to succeed, they must capture it at an exact instant – within 100 milliseconds. Given Grace’s exceptional ability in timing, her skills as a pickpocket could prove indispensable.

Upon reaching the previously mentioned underground shelter in South Africa, Gabriel and his crew are found to be holding a distressing present – a nuclear bomb set to detonate within 20 minutes unless they are given the specified module by them.

At that point, Ethan carries out his action, but just then, CIA Agent Kittridge, who’s keen on getting hold of the Entity for the U.S., shows up at the location. This triggers a brawl, and during this chaos, the bomb’s timer gets activated. As a result, Gabriel makes a hasty exit with the module, with Ethan hot on his heels.

In quick succession, we observe three heart-pounding situations unfolding concurrently: Ethan chases after Gabriel aboard a biplane with the Poison Pill as his goal, Donloe works to safeguard their team from an impending bomb detonation, Benji assists Grace in restarting the Bunker’s systems to trap the Entity, and Paris conducts urgent surgery on him due to injuries sustained during the last battle. The atmosphere is palpably tense.

Nevertheless, following an extraordinary sequence in Mission: Impossible lore where Ethan actually scales onto Gabriel’s aircraft, he achieves his goal, and Gabriel meets his end when he attempts to leap from the plane using a parachute after making contact with the rudder.

Later on, Grace combines the module and the Poison Pill, using increasingly inebriated Benji’s instructions. She manages to upload the data within the stipulated deadline, forever entrap the Entity. As time passes, the team assembles again in London in a joyous manner – with Grace presenting the trapped Entity to Ethan – before each of them part ways.

After combining the module and the Poison Pill, guided by Benji who was becoming more and more intoxicated, Grace successfully completes the upload within the given time limit, ensuring the Entity is imprisoned forever. Eventually, the team comes together in London with much jubilation – Grace handing Ethan the captive Entity – before they all go their separate ways.

Does Ethan Hunt die in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning?

No – despite a few more brushes with death, Ethan survives the events of the film once again!

In a potentially life-threatening situation, he nearly faced death when he passed out during the underwater mission to retrieve the module from the Sevastopol debris. However, upon resurfacing, Grace managed to bring him back to consciousness, allowing him to continue living for another day.

Regrettably, one significant character meets an untimely fate in this movie: Luther Stickell, Ethan’s trusted ally portrayed by Ving Rhames, and the only other character to appear in all eight films, tragically perishes early on when he disables a nuclear bomb. This selfless act results in a heroic end for a cherished character.

Is Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning the last film in the series?

Although the movie carries a sense of conclusiveness, given its title and numerous ties to the series, the character Ethan Hunt’s survival implies there could be possibly further opportunities for additional impossible missions.

Tom Cruise expressed his intention to continue making action films well into his hundreds, telling The Hollywood Reporter: “I said I’d make movies up until my 80s, but now I plan to keep going even beyond that. I’ll never stop, not with action, not with drama or comedy films – I’m always ready for the next challenge.

For now, it seems like action films won’t be part of this franchise. Tom Cruise, however, has emphatically stated that “This is truly the end! The title isn’t ‘final’ for nothing,” and during his visit at the Cannes Film Festival, he further clarified, “Savor this moment, as everything you see is the culmination [that[ we have worked towards right now.”]

Previously, director Christopher McQuarrie, who has directed each of the last four installments, shared with Empire: “I believe it offers a fulfilling end to a 30-year storyline. I’m quite certain that viewers will think the title was fitting.

In other words, it appears that this marks the end of the series for now, but there’s always a chance the situation could change and the door might reopen in the future.

In the year 2023, McQuarrie hinted that the franchise wouldn’t end with this movie. He shared this during an interview with Fandango, stating emphatically that “this is not the final chapter” and that they already have plans for future installments.

It’s quite plausible they might change their minds once more, considering Cruise continues to plan on starring in action movies for another 40 years. Additionally, it’s not unheard of for a franchise installment to be marketed as the last film, only to be resurrected later. As such, we’ll stay attentive for any new developments!

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2025-05-21 17:14