Tom Cruise doesn’t just keep on kickin’. He keeps jumping off of cliffs, riding dirt bikes into the sunset, and attaching his body to ascending airplanes.
The guy doesn’t know how not to be a Hollywood action movie star.
His latest run in yet another Mission: Impossible flick (scoring an elite rating at Rotten Tomatoes, by the way) may suggest he isn’t ready to quit anytime soon, either.
That said, Cruise is now 61. His days of dominating the action movie world are coming to an end, and it’s quite arguable the Mission: Impossible franchise is too lucrative for Hollywood to not replace him.
It won’t come within the next few years, but the following actors could be perfect as the next leading man in the franchise. If they choose to accept the mission, that is.
Taron Egerton
The next Ethan Hunt can’t be too old. Cruise still has a second Dead Reckoning installment to push himself through, and he may not be done with the franchise even after that.
Age would be a mild factor here, but with Egerton being just 33 years old at the moment, he could feasibly take over the responsibility of accepting difficult missions well before his 40th birthday.
His star is very much on the rise, so the major question is if this would be too beneath him.
Regardless, due to his amazing work in the Kingsman franchise, there’s no doubt he could carry the torch.
Michael B. Jordan
A stellar option to replace Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible is Jordan. He’s a little older than Egerton (36 as I write this), but he’s a bigger star and even better specifically when it comes to the action genre.
If you didn’t buy him in the Creed movies (you should have) or as Killmonger in Black Panther, then consider viewing him in Without Remorse.
He smashed that role, leaving little to the imagination if you’re wondering if he has the ability to head Mission: Impossible films.
Jordan’s main obstacle will be scheduling and money. The guy is in super high demand right now, and it’s anyone’s guess what projects he’ll make time for.
That said, there’s no denying Jordan would bring a little extra tenacity to the role.
Miles Teller
Teller is not the first guy I thought of when compiling a list of actors who could replace Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible.
Not at all known as an action star or even really a badass in Hollywood, Teller makes up for it with elite acting chops and a diverse resume.
He’s also got an in with the main man Tom Cruise, himself, having just starred alongside him in the Top Gun sequel.
Then again, he may want to watch what he says about his co-star’s behind.
Is that enough to get Teller’s foot in the door as a potential Mission: Impossible star? Who knows. All I know is the 36-year old has the talent to take on any role, and he’s been slowly rounding into form to take on a big action blockbuster for years now.
Could taking over as Ethan Hunt be on the horizon for him?
Tom Holland
Holland is not as buff as a lot of the other options on this list. That said, Tom Cruise hasn’t always been regarded as the most jacked guy, either.
In fact, Cruise is rather small, and his stature was a big reason he wasn’t asked to continue playing Jack Reacher.
My point? Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.
Holland may be small, but he is as well-versed in action sequencing as anyone thanks to his time as Spider-Man. He’s also dabbled with insane versatility, as it takes on quick look at his growing resume to see he’s capable of handling just about any acting gig.
Of course, he’s been dropping hints for a while now that he may be open to taking a break from acting, or maybe even leaving the game for good.
Could that take him out of the running of being the face of such a successful movie franchise like Mission: Impossible?
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Basically anytime I make a list about potential castings, Aaron Taylor-Johnson is in the mix. I absolutely had to mention him when talking about actors who could play a young John Wick, and he’s once again a viable option if Mission: Impossible replaces Cruise.
The 33-year old offers underrated affability, and he’s no stranger to dominating action scenes or carrying movies, either.
In fact, I wrote about him being quite the presence in my Bullet Train movie review, and I am sure you’ll remember him from the Kick-Ass franchise and his brief time with The Avengers.
More recently, he took over as Kraven the Hunter.
Taylor-Johnson is admittedly in high demand these days – and rightfully so – but he’s perfect to take on a role like this. He just might be my frontrunner, that is, if the James Bond decision-makers don’t nab him first.
Nicholas Hoult
Another perfect option if Mission: Impossible recasts the role of Ethan Hunt is Nicholas Hoult. The most obvious reason being that he honestly kind of looks like Tom Cruise.
The franchise could have him be a direct replacement, or just write a story about him being Ethan’s son.
Hey, here’s Ethan Hunt Jr. Boom! Franchise continued!
But seriously, Hoult is very much in his acting prime at age 33, and despite being a recognizable movie star, really hasn’t blown up to the levels he probably could.
He made waves in Renfield and The Menu, but he still hasn’t had that huge role that made him a household name.
Hoult hasn’t really had the platform to prove he’s capable of nailing this type of role, but being at the front of discussions for both Superman and The Batman make him a legit contender.
Who Will Replace Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible?
As noted, I do think we’re still at least a few years from this being a serious conversation. And once we get to the point where a 65-year old Cruise is even remotely considering passing the baton, we could run into a few roadblocks.
Scheduling and finances come into play for the above candidates. On top of that, there’s the question of Hollywood even wanting to continue the franchise – let alone replace their iconic lead while he’s still up for the job.
And even if things play out just right, Hollywood could opt to go even younger and pick an actor not mentioned here.
But it wouldn’t be much fun if we couldn’t live in the here and now and prognosticate, now would it?
As things stand, the guy that makes the most sense to me is Hoult.
Hoult has a similar look to Cruise, and he’s displayed the ability to be disarming with his words, while physical enough that he almost got two massive superhero roles.
Age and time are both on Hoult’s side, too, while unlike most of the other options here, this would be his first massive role that firmly puts him on the map.
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