After ‘Mission: Impossible’, What is Hollywood’s Action Future?

After nearly 30 years, three on-screen deaths, and at least a dozen wild stunts, Ethan Hunt and Mission: Impossible have approached some kind of end with The Final Reckoning. The question now is “what’s next?,” which has hovered over this franchise for years, and in several different ways. Tom Cruise is the series, and throughout the years, he’s reaffirmed his commitment to these movies until his heart stops beating. Longtime fans know some of this served as a direct statement to Paramount: after Jeremy Renner was cast as William Brandt for Ghost Protocol, rumors began to swirl he’d take over as the series’ lead if (or, if the studio had its way, when) Cruise opted to retire from the franchise. That never materialized, but from Ghost and onward, Cruise has had another star on hand as a co-lead, including Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa Faust (introduced in Rogue Nation), Hayley Atwell’s Grace (Dead Reckoning), and Henry Cavill’s August Walker (Fallout). All four actors—even Cavill, at least ... Read full article.