Mission: Impossible is an American multimedia franchise based on a fictional secret espionage agency known as the Impossible Missions Force (IMF). The 1966 TV series ran for seven seasons and was revived in 1988 for two seasons. It inspired a series of theatrical motion pictures starring Tom Cruise beginning in 1996.

By 2011, the franchise had generated over $4 billion in revenue, making it one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.

The most recent installment, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, premiered in Tokyo on May 5, 2025, and was released internationally on May 23. It earned about $598 million worldwide, including $197.4 million in the U.S. and Canada and $400.6 million internationally, making it the highest-opening entry in the series and the eighth-highest-grossing film of 2025.

Although its title suggests finality, franchise star Tom Cruise gave mixed signals. At the Cannes premiere, he said, "It's the final... it's not called final for nothing", while in other interviews he expressed interest in continuing the role into his eighties.

Legacy The franchise's signature theme music, composed in 5/4 time by Lalo Schifrin for the 1966 series, incorporates the Morse code for "M.I." Schifrin's composition became an enduring cultural hallmark, earning Grammy recognition. Schifrin died in June 2025 at age 93, with obituaries widely highlighting his influence on spy film music.

The Mission: Impossible films have become famous for pushing the boundaries of stunts. Each film features increasingly death-defying real-world stunts, planned meticulously by Cruise and the stunt team, and performed by Cruise himself with as few special effects as possible. Stunts have included climbing the Burj Khalifa in Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol, hanging onto the outside of a plane during takeoff in Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation and riding a motorcycle off a cliff in Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning. The franchise has won five Taurus World Stunt Awards, two Actor Awards for its stunt team, and one Critics Choice Award for Wade Eastwood's stunt design for Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning.

Several actors have spoken about their experiences with the films. Jeremy Renner, who appeared in Ghost Protocol and Rogue Nation, did not return for later installments due to family commitments, stating he prioritized raising his daughter over extended location filming. Hayley Atwell, who debuted as Grace in Dead Reckoning, noted she spent over five years with the franchise, including extensive reshoots, describing it as both physically demanding and creatively rewarding.

Media Television series +Overview Mission: Impossible television series Title Release Seasons Episodes Note(s)Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series) 1966–1973 7 171 episodes Mission: Impossible (1988 TV series) 1988–1990 2 35 episodes

Films

+Overview of Mission: Impossible films Title Release date Note(s) Mission: Impossible vs. the Mob Released theatrically in Europe and Australia. Mission: Impossible Part of the Mission: Impossible film series. Mission: Impossible 2 Mission: Impossible III Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation Mission: Impossible – Fallout Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

Soundtracks +Overview of Mission: Impossible soundtracks Title Release date Note(s) Music from Mission: Impossible More Mission: Impossible Mission: Impossible (Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture) Mission: Impossible – (Music from the Original Motion Picture Score) Music from and Inspired by Mission: Impossible 2 Mission: Impossible 2 (Music from the Original Motion Picture Score) Mission: Impossible III (Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (Music from the Motion Picture) Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (Music from the Motion Picture) Mission: Impossible – Fallout (Music from the Motion Picture) Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (Music from the Motion Picture) Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (Music from the Motion Picture)

Video games +Overview of Mission: Impossible video games TitlePlatform Release date Note(s) Spy DaisakusenPC-8800 series Based on the 1966 TV series. Released in Japan only.Sharp MZ Mission: ImpossibleNES Based on the 1988 TV series revival. Mission: ImpossibleMS-DOS Mission: ImpossibleN64 Based on the 1996 film.PSX1999 Mission: ImpossibleGBC Mission: Impossible – Operation SurmaGBA XboxPS2GC Mission: Impossible IIIJ2ME Developed by Gameloft Mission: Impossible – Rogue NationiOS Developed by GluAndroidLego Dimensions - Mission: ImpossiblePS3 Expansion pack for Lego Dimensions. Based on the Mission: Impossible film series.PS4Xbox OneXbox 360Wii U

Books +Overview of Mission: Impossible books Title Release date Author Note(s) Mission: Impossible 1 Walter Wager (credited as John Tiger) Part of a series Mission: Impossible 2: Code Name: Judas Jim Lawrence (credited as Max Walker) Mission: Impossible 3: Code Name: Rapier Mission: Impossible 4: Code Name: Little Ivan Walter Wager (credited as John Tiger) Mission: Impossible: The Priceless Particle Talmage Powell Part of a series Mission: Impossible: The Money Explosion Mission Impossible Peter Barsocchini Novelization to the Tom Cruise film Mission Impossible: The Aztec Imperative James Luceno Tie-in series to the film series Mission Impossible: Ring of Fire Tom Philbin Mission Impossible: The Doomsday Summit

Comics +Overview of Mission: Impossible comics Title Release date Note(s) Mission: Impossible Five-issue series; published by Dell Comics. Mission: Impossible Comic strip published in TV Action. Art by John M. Burns. Mission: Impossible Tie-in prequel one-shot to the 1996 film. Published by Marvel Comics. Written by Marv Wolfman, art by Rob Liefeld et al.

Cast and characters

+Overview of Mission: Impossible cast and characters Character TV series Film Mission: Impossible (1966) Mission: Impossible (1988) Mission: Impossible Mission: Impossible 2 Mission: Impossible III Ghost Protocol Rogue Nation Fallout Dead Reckoning The Final Reckoning Dan Briggs Steven Hill Cinnamon Carter Barbara Bain Barney Collier Greg Morris Willy Armitage Peter Lupus Jim Phelps Peter Graves Jon Voight Rollin Hand Martin Landau The Great Paris Leonard Nimoy Dana Lambert Lesley Warren Dr. Doug Robert Sam Elliott Lisa Casey Lynda Day George Nicholas Black Thaao Penghlis Max Harte Tony Hamilton Grant Collier Phil Morris Casey Randall Terry Markwell Shannon Reed Jane Badler Ethan Hunt Tom Cruise Luther Stickell Ving Rhames Eugene Kittridge Henry Czerny Henry Czerny Benji Dunn Simon Pegg Julia Meade Michelle Monaghan Michelle Monaghan William Brandt Jeremy Renner Ilsa Faust Rebecca Ferguson Alan Hunley Alec Baldwin Solomon Lane Sean Harris Alanna Mitsopolis Vanessa Kirby Erica SloaneAngela BassettAngela Bassett Denlinger Cary Elwes Grace Hayley Atwell Jasper Briggs Shea Whigham Gabriel Esai Morales Paris Pom Klementieff

References