Mission Impossible Movies In Order

In the early 1990s, action movies were becoming increasingly dull and lacklustre. Audiences had started to move away from the traditional action film and towards other genres. Mission: Impossible changed all that at a stroke. With Hollywood A-lister Tom Cruise at the helm, this reboot of a 1960s classic TV series was exactly what the action genre needed. 

Fast-paced, hard-hitting, and with sharp and believable dialogue, Mission: Impossible also had one other defining factor—plenty of real action alongside the usual CGI fest. We're talking huge explosions, daring stunts, and incredible feats, many of which were performed by Cruise himself. Audiences loved it, and the action genre was reborn. 

Nearly 30 years later, Mission: Impossible remains a dynamic and unique franchise, with the latest in the series released this year. Let's take a look at the films in order, starting with that 1996 ground-breaking offering.

Mission: Impossible (1996)

In the first of the reboots, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team of specialist operatives are tasked with finding and exposing a double agent to clear his name. This adrenaline-fuelled opener grabbed the headlines with its extraordinary stunts, earning the film big returns at the box office. It also stars Jon Voight, Emmanuel Béart, Vanessa Redgrave and Kristin Scott Thomas as part of the stellar cast.

Mission: Impossible II (2000)

Buoyed by the success of the first film, Mission: Impossible II sees Cruise reprise his role as Ethan Hunt, an IMF agent and action superhero. Hunt is tasked with stopping the potentially deadly release of a bioengineered virus known as ‘Chimera’. Famous for one of the most exciting motorcycle chases in cinematic history, this is a nonstop rollercoaster of action and emotion. It also stars Dougray Scott and Thandiwe Newton.

Mission: Impossible III (2006)

JJ Abrams sits in the director’s chair for the third M:i outing, and the challenges for Ethan Hunt and his team keep getting tougher. This time, he's forced to take on a dangerous arms dealer who threatens both his and his fiancé’s life. Also starring Michelle Monaghan and Ving Rhames.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)

In the fourth of the M:i films, it’s not just Ethan who’s in trouble, but the whole of the IMF organisation. Accused of bombing the Kremlin, there’s no help this time for Ethan and the team as they go all out to clear the organisation’s reputation. Directed by Brad Bird, Tom Cruise is joined by the regular team as well as Jeremy Renner and Simon Pegg.

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)

When your enemy is as technologically advanced and as skilled as you, things get tough. Ethan and the team must take out a rogue organisation bent on destroying the IMF in the fifth of the M:i series. The action is even bigger than before, with breathtaking chases and double-crosses galore. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, Rogue Nation also stars  Rebecca Ferguson, Alec Baldwin, Tom Hollander and Jeremy Renner.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)

It was inevitable that at some point, the IMF team led by Ethan Hunt would come up against terrorists with nuclear capabilities, and in Mission: Impossible – Fallout, that's exactly what happens. With not one but three potential nuclear 'dirty bombs' due to be detonated in different cities, Hunt and the team have to find and stop the terrorists before they can kill thousands. Christopher McQuarrie sits in the director's chair once again, and Cruise is joined by Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson and Sean Harris for this explosive addition to the franchise.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Widely regarded as one of the best action movies of the last few years, Dead Reckoning Part One is nonstop explosive action from the very first few seconds. Don't expect it to let up either, as Hunt and the IMF team try to track down a highly dangerous new weapon before it ends up in the wrong hands. The chase scenes alone are worth the ticket price, and the M:i legacy is taken to a whole new level in this critically acclaimed film. 

Christopher McQuarrie directs, while Tom Cruise once again shows just how capable he is as an action hero. Also starring Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, and Hayley Atwell, Dead Reckoning Part One picked up two Oscar nominations, firmly bringing the action genre to the forefront of popular cinema.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025)

Don’t worry if you’re an M:i fan because, despite the title, there doesn’t seem to be any chance of this action franchise ending soon. The Final Reckoning (also known as Dead Reckoning Part Two in some countries) is the follow-on from the 2023 film. With a strapline “Our lives are the sum of our choices”, this eagerly-anticipated release takes a look at the consequences of a lifetime spent in the shadows. Is Ethan’s greatest enemy really himself? And can he overcome his own personal battle to stop the people he cares about the most from becoming victims? 

The Final Reckoning is set to be a powerful film with plenty of action, as always, but a deeper, more personal resonance with the central character, who deep-dives into the real Ethan Hunt. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the cast of Dead Reckoning Part One includes Vanessa Kirby as The White Widow, Tramell Tillman, Hannah Waddingham, and Katy O'Brien. 

Powerful action from start to finish, showstopping stunts and strong characters that have developed over the years into a well-established and slick team make the M:i films some of the best action adventures of the last 30 years. With The Final Reckoning anticipated to break box office records and talk of at least two or three more films to come, the fuse hasn’t stopped burning on the Mission: Impossible films just yet.

So which is your favourite Mission: Impossible film? While each of the films offers a standalone central story, watching them in order gives you a far greater understanding and appreciation for the secretive world of the IMF agents, and the struggles an undercover spy has to live with.

Grab your popcorn, start at the beginning, and treat yourself to an M:i binge that’ll keep your pulse racing and your heart pounding from start to finish.

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