Tom Cruise has been one of the biggest Hollywood stars in the last few decades, and one of the driving forces that shot him to the top is the Mission: Impossible franchise. Filled with great action scenes, mind-blowing stunts, and good stories/characters, it’s easy to see why audiences eat these movies up, even seven movies later. But if you’re late to the party, don’t worry, this list is here to help you become a die-hard Mission: Impossible fan. Here are all the Mission: Impossible movies in order.
The Mission: Impossible Movies in Chronological Order
- Mission: Impossible
- Mission: Impossible 2
- Mission: Impossible 3
- Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
- Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
- Mission: Impossible - Fallout
- Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
- Mission: Impossible - Final Reckoning
1. Mission: Imposssible (1996)
There’s a mole within the Impossible Mission Force (IMF) who’s killing off Ethan’s whole team. As the only survivor, doubts are cast upon Ethan, so he has to go on the run and clear his name at the same time. But when there is a secret killer out there, and nobody believes you’re telling the truth, what do you do? The impossible, of course.
I didn’t know this until a few months ago, but this movie is actually a reboot of a TV show from the 60s, Mission: Impossible. The show and the movie franchise don’t really have a lot of crossover except in this first film, but it’s an interesting piece of tidbit that I’m not sure many people know.
2. Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)
A few months into the new millennium, the second installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise came out. This time, the threat of an extremely dangerous bioweapon looms on the horizon, and it’s up to Ethan to neutralize it. But it won’t be easy, as the bioweapon is in the hands of fellow IMF agent Sean Ambrose.
This movie was directed by the famous Hong Kong director John Woo, which is probably why it has such a different feel from the rest of the franchise. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it is interesting to rewatch the film series and get total whiplash from the vibe of this movie.
3. Mission: Impossible 3 (2006)
Ethan, after saving the world ten times over, finally retires from going on missions. He still works for the IMF; however, he is training recruits. But when one of his recruits gets into some sticky trouble, Ethan has to come out of retirement to once again save the day and figure out what’s really going on.
I like the first two movies in the series, but it’s with this third one that the franchise really ramps up to bigger heights, and every movie after this one is just incredible.
4. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
Dropping the numbers from their movie titles, the Mission: Impossible franchise goes full speed ahead with Ghost Protocol. Ethan should probably be used to people framing him, but what happens when the entire IMF organization is framed for something it didn’t do? It’s time to initiate Ghost Protocol - no backup, no last-minute saves, it’s do or die.
This installment in the franchise has the first appearance of Jeremy Renner’s character, William Brandt. Simon Pegg’s character, who was introduced in the previous film, also gets a more prominent role.
5. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)
No matter how many times Ethan saves the world, it seems that he never gets the appreciation he deserves. This time, in Rogue Nation, he’s being hunted by the CIA. But that’s the least of his problems as he’ll also have to take down a secret, international group only known as The Syndicate.
Along with his close friends and teammates, Benji and Luther, Ethan will also be joined by Ilsa Faust, a MI6 agent. Faust ends up becoming a series regular in the film franchise, which is great because her character stands out as one of the best.
6. Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
As the name suggests, Ethan and his team will have to squash a nuclear threat from extremist John Lark that threatens the entire world. But they won't be alone; this time, they’ll also be joined by a CIA Agent, August Walker, portrayed by Henry Cavill.
I love the entire Mission: Impossible franchise, but this is by far my favorite. It might be the most perfect action movie I’ve ever seen, and if you watch it, I know you won’t be disappointed.
7. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
With all this talk about AI taking our jobs and changing society (for better or for worse), it makes sense that one of the biggest movie franchises in the world will also tackle this concept. Instead of a human, physical villain, this time, Ethan will have to face off against an AI known as the Entity.
But the Entity has supporters and agents that work for it, including dangerous assassins Gabriel and Paris, who remain a constant and physical threat to our heroes. Ethan will have to pull out all the stops to stop this intangible threat.
8. Mission: Impossible - Final Reckoning (2025)
As of the time of this writing, this movie has not come out yet, so I can’t give you many details. But what I can tell you is that this movie deals with the events from the previous movie, so you don’t want to skip out on Dead Reckoning.
And even though I haven’t seen it yet, there are a few things I know I’ll be able to expect from it: some laughs, some emotional moments, a ton of great action scenes, and some unbelievable stunts.
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