Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning: Does Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt Survive?

Published: May 23, 2025

Tom Cruise reprises his iconic role as Ethan Hunt in the eighth installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. The film is now in theaters, and fans are eager to know if Cruise's Ethan Hunt survives the final mission.

The Final Mission

The movie picks up two months after the previous installment, Dead Reckoning. The IMF team, led by Ethan, must find a sunken Russian submarine to extract the Entity's source code. The mission becomes a race against time as Ethan dives into the Arctic ocean to locate the submarine, while his team helps him escape before he freezes to death.

The End of an Era

The film's title, The Final Reckoning, suggests that it might be Cruise's last outing as Ethan Hunt. However, co-star Simon Pegg has hinted that the door is open for future adventures. Pegg stated, "Never say never... Tom was really keen that we not leave the film in a way that people would walk out and go, 'Oh, God. He's dead.'"

The Fate of Ethan Hunt

Ethan Hunt survives the impossible mission for the eighth (and potentially final) time in The Final Reckoning. After the team successfully completes their mission, the movie ends with Ethan's entire IMF team meeting for one last time in London. Ethan is handed the thumb drive containing the artificial intelligence, making him the most powerful man on the planet.

Notable Deaths

The movie contains a few notable deaths. Ving Rhames' character Luther dies in the movie's first act, sacrificing himself to save Ethan's life. The principal villain, Gabriel, is also defeated by Ethan in a climactic aerial sequence. Additionally, Nick Offerman's character, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, is shot and killed during the movie's climax.