He’s on a mission.
Tom Cruise is reportedly searching for an actor to play a younger version of his “Mission: Impossible” character for the next two installments of the hit action franchise.
According to the Sun, the eighth and ninth movies will take a look back at Ethan’s early life.
“Tom is keen to give Mission: Impossible a fresh take in the next two films and wants to explore a bit of Ethan’s past. They’re going to start looking for a young star to take on the role and they will appear a bit in the next film and then more in the ninth,” a source told the outlet.
The popular movie franchise currently has seven films out, with an eighth coming. A ninth film has not been officially announced or confirmed.
As to who might win the role as the young Ethan Hunt — and possibly end up on Tom Cruise’s coveted cake list — they said, “It’s very important to Tom that they get the right person. They are seeking a youngster who is completely fresh on the scene and will cause a real stir. It’s a huge role but the hunt is on to see if they can find a young Tom Cruise.”
Cruise, 62, has starred as Ethan Hunt in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise since the first movie came out in 1996. He’s also a producer of the films which follow his character on various action-packed spy missions.
It’s been rumored that the eighth film will be Cruise’s last. His “Top Gun: Maverick” co-star, Glen Powell, 36, has denied the rumors that he’ll replace Cruise.
“The scenes will show Ethan in his early life and explore the things that happened to him before he went on to start working as a spy,” the source told the Sun.
“It is something they’ve not done before with ‘Mission: Impossible’ and so Tom thinks it could be a really interesting tangent for fans.”
The eighth film, “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,” will be released in May 2025.