How to Watch the 'Mission: Impossible' Movies in Order
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The Mission: Impossible movie franchise has been around for a long time. Like, "babies who were born when the first one came out are getting ready to turn 30" level long time. Tom Cruise first took on the role of IMF agent Ethan Hunt back in 1996, and since then, he's starred in six more Mission: Impossible movies, including this summer's new release, Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One. Yep, an eighth M:I movie—Dead Reckoning Part Two—is already on the way and scheduled for the summer of 2024.
But while Cruise is forever connected to Mission: Impossible, the franchise has been around even longer, because the films are based on the TV series of the same name that premiered in the 1960s. Characters have been completing missions impossible long before Cruise began jumping motorcycles off of cliffs and scaling cliffs and what have you.
Today, though, we're just focusing on the movies. Whether you're getting geared up for Dead Reckoning Part One or want to take in this long-running series for the first time, here's where you can watch all of the exhilarating action movies.
Mission: Impossible (1996)
The first Mission: Impossible move introduces viewers to Ethan Hunt for the first time—the TV series featured other secret agents. Ethan has to figure out why he is the only survivor when his IMF (Impossible Mission Force, naturally) team is killed and why he's being framed as responsible. Co-stars include Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Béart, and Ving Rhames, the latter of whom is the only actor besides Cruise who is in the all of the movies. He plays computer hacker Luther Stickell.
Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)
The impossible mission in Mission: Impossible 2 is gaining control of a genetically modified disease before it can be released as a weapon by terrorists. Thandiwe Newton and Dougray Scott co-star.
Mission: Impossible III (2006)
The third Mission: Impossible movie features a classic action movie trope: a retired agent has to return for one more mission. Ethan comes out retirement to attempt to take down an arms dealer played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. This film also introduces Michelle Monaghan as Ethan's love interest—and later wife—Julia, as well as Simon Pegg’s character, Benji Dunn, who returns for all of the subsequent movies.
Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol (2011)
Surprise: Ethan Hunt doesn't go back into retirement. This time, the IMF has been blamed for a terrorist attack and is no longer supported by the U.S. government. So, the group must go rogue to prove they weren't responsible for the attack—and, you know, do other action-y things in the meantime. Co-stars include Paula Patton and Jeremy Renner.
Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation (2015)
In 2015's Rogue Nation, the IMF has been disbanded, but Ethan Hunt and other agents take on The Syndicate, an international group of agents who are just as skilled as they are. Rebecca Ferguson joins the cast as British agent Ilsa Faust, a character who sticks around for all of the future movies.
Mission: Impossible — Fallout (2018)
First, The Syndicate. Now, The Apostles. The Apostles emerged from The Syndicate, and Ethan and his gang must stop them from attaining nuclear weapons. New cast members for Fallout include Angela Bassett, Henry Cavill, and Vanessa Kirby.
Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
This brings us to the newest movie, Dead Reckoning Part One, which hits theaters July 12. Ethan Hunt takes on The Entity. And lest you think it's yet another mysterious group of spies, there's a twist: The Entity is AI. Cruise, Ferguson, Rhames, Pegg, and Kirby all return and are joined by Hayley Atwell, Esai Morales, and Pom Klementieff.
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