Tom Cruisehelped revive a franchise in 1996 when he starred in thefirstMission: Impossiblefilmas Ethan Hunt, a member of a fictional spy agency called Impossible Missions Force, or IMF. The first film kicked off a successful movie franchise that’s run for 25 years, with the number ofMission: Impossiblenearing the double digits. The entire series focuses on the daring and intelligent Hunt, and while playing the same character for more than two decades is no small feat, Cruise makes the impossible look easy. While Cruise has been onboard forall of theMission: Impossiblefilms— seven so far, with the eighth having stopped filming due to the2023 SAG-AFTRA strike— the other actor who’s been by his side since day one isVing Rhames, who plays Luther Stickell, an expert hacker at IMF and Hunt’s most trusted friend. Over the years, many great actors likeJon Voight,Philip Seymour Hoffman, andAngela Bassetthave had roles in the franchise, whether as allies or antagonists to Hunt.
Thankfully, for anyone wondering how to watch theMission: Impossiblemovies in chronological order or by release date, the action spy franchise isn’t as complicated as Hunt’s “impossible” missions. Here’s a straightforward guide.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated on August 13, 2025.
Mission: Impossible
An American agent, under false suspicion of disloyalty, must discover and expose the real spy without the help of his organization.
Mission Impossible Movies In Order of Release Date
Here’s every film in theMission: Impossiblemovie franchise, in the order they were released in:
Mission: Impossible(1996)
Mission: Impossible 2(2000)
Mission: Impossible III(2006)
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol(2011)
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation(2015)
Mission: Impossible – Fallout(2018)
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One(2023)
Mission Impossible Movies in Chronological Order of Events
The timeline of theMission: Impossiblefranchise is pretty straightforward, but if you’re wondering when Cruise climbed the Burj Khalifa, how many movies Ilsa Faust has been in, or who’s been on Ethan Hunt’s IMF team the longest, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a breakdown of how to watch theMission: Impossiblefilms in chronological order and the important details to remember:
Mission: Impossible (1996)
Based on the TV series of the same name that ran from 1966 to 1973,Mission: Impossible, the first film in what is now a multi-billion-dollar-earning franchise, takes the original story and turns it on its head. When a whole team of IMF agents is killed during a mission, Cruise’s Hunt is left as the only survivor. Unfortunately, surviving doesn’t do him much good, as IMF, in turn, suspects Hunt of being a mole in the organization and the one responsible for the killings. In order to prove his innocence, Hunt goes on the run in search of the real mole, intent on stopping them before they do any more damage. Along with Cruise and Rhames,Mission: Impossiblealso stars Voigt as Jim Phelps, one of the original series’s characters,Vanessa Redgraveas an arms dealer named Max, as well asKristin Scott ThomasandEmilio Estevezas other major characters.Directed byBrian De Palma, the 1996 film is more of a contained, paranoid spy thriller, and ultimately, the franchise goes above and beyond the first film’s story and action sequences, butMission: Impossiblewill always be the one that started it all.
Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)
Released four years after the first film,Mission: Impossible 2, directed byJohn Woo,features the return of Hunt and the IMF, as Hunt is tasked with finding and disposing of a biochemical weapon called “Chimera.” The villain of this mission is a former IMF agent named Sean Ambrose, played byDougray Scott. Other new additions to the cast areThandiwe Newtonas Nyah Nordoff-Hall, Ambrose’s ex-girlfriend who helps Hunt accomplish his task, as well asBrendan Gleesonas John C. McCloy, the CEO of Biocyte, the company that creates both the Chimera weapon and its antidote, “Bellerophon.” Ambrose aims to start a pandemic so that he can earn billions of dollars by selling the antidote, and Hunt and Nyah must secure the virus before it’s too late. The second film in theMission: Impossiblefranchise ups the ante, with Hunt traveling all the way to Sydney, Australia to chase down Ambrose, and the action sequences are jam-packed intypical Woo fashion.
Mission: Impossible III (2006)
The third film in theMission: Impossiblefranchise took a really long time to be released, with six years between 2000’sMission: Impossible 2and 2006’sMission: Impossible III. The third outing for IMF agent Hunt introduces two more key characters to the story —Michelle Monaghanas Hunt’s fiancée, Julia Meade, andSimon Pegg’s Benji Dunn, an IMF technician and trusted teammate of Hunt’s. InMission: Impossible III, Hunt attempts to retire from fieldwork and settle down with Julia, but the organization can’t seem to let him go. He is called in to rescue a kidnapped agent and stop an arms dealer named Owen Davian (Seymour Hoffman) from receiving a dangerous MacGuffin called the “Rabbit’s Foot.” All the while, Hunt tries to keep the secret of his real job from Julie, but despite his efforts, she gets dragged into danger anyway. Directed byJ.J. Abrams, the thirdMission: Impossiblefilm also features many other fantastic actors, includingLaurence Fishburne,Keri Russell, andBilly Crudup.
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
In the new decade, this is where the action franchise really hits its stride. The firstMission: Impossiblefilm to have a subtitle, 2011’sMission: Impossible - Ghost Protocoldoes not disappoint. After a mission goes terribly wrong, ending with the Kremlin blowing up, the U.S. government disavows IMF in what is known as the “Ghost Protocol,” leaving Hunt and his team alone and without backup. Along with Cruise, Rhames, Pegg, and Monaghan, the fourthMission: Impossiblefilm also starsJeremy Renner,Paula Patton,Michael Nyqvist, andLéa Seydoux. While Hunt’s previous missions have involved traitor agents and virus weapons, this particular adventure features Hunt working to prevent a nuclear war. The stakes are higher than ever, and Hunt must overcome both physical and emotional hardships to do his job and save the world.The Iron GiantandIncrediblesdirectorBrad Birdmade his live-action debut withGhost Protocol, and the film is a major step up from the previous three, escalating the action set-pieces (most notably,Cruise’s instantly iconic climb up the Burj Khalifa) and introducing a more ensemble-driven approach the franchise is still embracing today.
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)
EnterRebecca Ferguson.Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nationis the fifth film in theMission: Impossibleseries that never seems to stop. AlongsideAlec Baldwin,Sean Harris, andTom Hollander, this movie marks the first appearance ofFerguson’s Ilsa Faust, an MI6 agent who encounters Hunt while undercover in the Syndicate crime organization; an international group of spies who went rogue. Ferguson’s character is definitely one of the most complicated of the series so far, and she adds new life and intrigue to the franchise. After Hunt is captured by the Syndicate, led by Harris’s character Solomon Lane, he is tortured for information and later escapes with Faust’s help. The Syndicate’s main goal is to reconstruct the world order through a series of violent terrorist attacks, and of course, Hunt gets blamed for the crimes, leaving him constantly on the run. It’s an age-old story. Hunt gets involved with a huge conspiracy then gets framed and must go on the run, relying on his amazing skills as an agent to take the Syndicate down before they can complete their plan. Considering that this formula has gotten the franchise this far, there’s really no reason to change it up, but directorChristopher McQuarriemakes it feel fresh and new with extraordinary stunts and a deeper interest in Hunt as a character. It’s no wonder that he’s the only filmmaker to date to stick with the franchise for multiple sequels.
Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
Mission: Impossible - Falloutfollows Hunt, Faust, and the rest of Hunt’s now-familiar team as they work to stop what’s left of the Syndicate. The organization has reformed as the Apostles, led by an unknown figure known as John Lark. After a mission to secure stolen plutonium cores doesn’t go well, Angela Bassett, finally joining the franchise as CIA Director Erika Sloane, assignsHenry Cavill’s August Walkerto oversee Hunt’s future missions. Meanwhile, an arms dealer named Alanna Mitsopolis, or the White Widow (a new character played byVanessa Kirby) causes trouble for Hunt and the IMF by stealing the plutonium to make a deal. According to Mitsopolis’s offer, Hunt must secure Lane (the villain from the previous movie) and deliver him to MI6, and she will give him the plutonium cores for the CIA and IMF. Of course, very little goes according to plan, as Hunt discovers that the person known as Lark is closer than he thought. Set two years afterRogue Nation, the two films’ plots are heavily intertwined, so it’s best to watch them together if you can.
The latest chapter of theMission: Impossiblefranchise,Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part Onefeatureseven bigger stunts than ever beforeand adds a host of exciting new cast members, includingHayley Atwell,Pom Klementieff,Shea Whigham,Esai Morales,Indira Varma,Cary Elwes, andMark Gatiss, among others. Christopher McQuarrie once again wrote and directed the movie and will be doing the same forMIssion: Impossible 8. The film introduces a new threat involving a familiar face, an organization known as the Community. It is by far the biggest film in the series, both in terms of cast and scope.
What’s Next?
With every new installment, theMission: Impossiblefranchise gets better and better. And whileDead Reckoning Part Onemay just be the best it’s ever been, Cruise and McQuarrie will be looking to top that withMission: Impossible 8. However,the film has been delayed multiple timesand has undergone a quiet name change. As of now, the eighth part of Ethan Hunt’s story is set to premiere on Memorial Day, June 21, 2025.
Watch the Mission: Impossible franchise on Paramount+ in the U.S.
