Mission Impossible films ‘get a HUGE update as Tom Cruise begins work on the next two movies in the iconic series’

Tom Cruise will reportedly cast a younger version of himself in his next two Mission: Impossible films.

The Hollywood legend, 62, could be on the hunt for the perfect match to play the younger Ethan Hunt in the epic action franchise.

The huge possibility increases as reports emerge that Tom wants to shed light on the protagonist’s early days – in an attempt to ‘explore Ethan’s past’.

“The scenes show Ethan in his early life and explore the things that happened to him before he started working as a spy,” an insider said. The sun.

“It’s something they haven’t done before with Mission: Impossible and that’s why Tom thinks it could be a really interesting premise for fans.”

“They’re going to look for a young star to take on the role and they’ll appear a little bit in the next film and then more in the ninth.

“They are looking for a young person who is brand new on the scene and will make waves.”

Adding the opportunity is ‘undoubtedly huge’, the added television source is crucial for the actor to ‘get the right person’ for this role.

MailOnline has contacted Tom’s representatives for comment.

Earlier in November, the first trailer for Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning was finally released, as the highly anticipated film confirmed its title after months of delays.

Reprising his role as the titular hero, Tom is set to take on his biggest mission yet, after a thrilling cliffhanger saw the spy determined to track down cyber weapon The Entity.

In the new trailer, fans get a look back at some of the most iconic moments from the film franchise as Ethan begs his team to “trust him one last time.”

A voice says: ‘Everything you were, everything you did, came to this.

“When the need for certainty is absolute and the odds are deemed impossible, the mission falls to him, should he choose to accept it.”

The preview offers glimpses of Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg and Vanessa Kirby, while Esai Morales returns as the villain Gabriel.

As Ethan fights to find the mysterious Entity, he is faced with some of his biggest stunts yet, including being forced to dangle from a World War II plane.

Tom himself first revealed the film’s title on Instagram last month, sharing a photo of the film’s poster with the caption: “Every choice led to this.”

The film, which has suffered multiple delays, will finally hit theaters on May 23, 2025.

Filming of the British scenes of the eighth installment of the Mission Impossible franchise initially took place between March and December 2022.

Production on the eighth film was originally halted so the cast could promote part one, and then the SAG-AFTRA strike began causing further delays.

Production resumed soon after, but was suspended in July due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes.

Filming resumed in March 2024, but came to a halt again in May, reportedly due to a faulty gimbal (a camera aid).

Mission Impossible 8 was originally intended to be filmed back-to-back with Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, which grossed over half a billion at the box office.

Without the strikes, MI:8 would have reached fans by the end of the summer: the planned release date is now May 23, 2025.

In addition to Tom, the eighth Mission Impossible film will also see the return of Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff and Vanessa Kirby.

It’s hoped that this time the actor won’t have to resort to desperately begging studio bosses to extend the film’s runtime.

When the seventh film hit theaters, the actor worried that Oppenheimer would overshadow the film because it required the same limited screens.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One underperformed at the box office compared to the previous films in the franchise, despite Tom’s attempts to extend the series.

He was proven right when Oppenheimer earned nearly $400 million more than Mission: Impossible at the box office.

The Mission: Impossible film series began in 1996 and is based on the 1966 television series of the same name.