Mission: Impossible saga
- Films
- 8
- Years
- 1996–2025
- The first
- Mission: Impossible 1996
- The latest
- Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning 2025
- Best rated
- Mission: Impossible - Fallout 8.7
- Back to back
- 18 h 9 min
The films in release order
Numbered by their first release anywhere; the date, where there is one, is their UK release.
About the Mission: Impossible saga
'Mission: Impossible' began as a television series in 1966 and in 1996 became Tom Cruise's own franchise, which he stars in and produces as IMF agent Ethan Hunt. The first film, 'Mission: Impossible', directed by Brian De Palma, left us the heist hanging from the ceiling at CIA headquarters, and every instalment since has had a signature: a real stunt by Cruise, each more dangerous than the last.
John Woo directed 'Mission: Impossible 2', J.J. Abrams 'Mission: Impossible III' and Brad Bird 'Ghost Protocol' (2011), with Cruise climbing the Burj Khalifa. Christopher McQuarrie took over from 'Rogue Nation' (2015), in which Cruise hung off a plane during take-off, and made 'Fallout' (2018), for many the best of the series, with its jump from 25,000 feet.
The story ended with two films against the Entity, an artificial intelligence: 'Dead Reckoning Part One' (2023), with the motorbike leap off a cliff, and 'The Final Reckoning' (2025). Ving Rhames, as Luther, is the only actor besides Cruise to appear in all eight.
Questions about the Mission: Impossible saga
How many Mission: Impossible films are there?
The Mission: Impossible saga has 8 released films: the first is Mission: Impossible (1996) and the latest Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning (2025).
In what order should you watch the Mission: Impossible films?
In release order it starts with Mission: Impossible (1996), Mission: Impossible 2 (2000), Mission: Impossible III (2006) and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011). All 8 are numbered in the list above.
What is the best Mission: Impossible film?
For our readers, Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018), averaging 8.7 from 37 votes.
How long does it take to watch the whole Mission: Impossible saga?
The 8 films add up to 18 h 9 min: how long they last back to back.
