Ahead of the release of Mission: Impossible 7, Tom Cruise just let it be known that he’d love to continue starring in the spy thriller franchise for another 20 years.
In a recent interview with The Sydney Morning Herald during the Australian premiere of Mission: Impossible 7, Cruise said that he wants to make more movies until he reaches Ford’s age. Believe it or not, Cruise just turned 61 years old on July 3, 2023.
“Harrison Ford is a legend; I hope to be still going,” Cruise said. “I’ve got 20 years to catch up with him. I hope to keep making ‘Mission: Impossible’ films until I’m his age.
Ford ends his iconic run as Indiana Jones with the release of Dial of Destiny. However, at age 80, the actor does not plan on giving up acting. The actor is set to join the MCU as General Thunderbolt Ross in Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts.
“I don’t do well when I don’t have work,” Ford said in June. “I love to work. I love to feel useful. It’s my jones. I want to be helpful… and it’s the people you get to work with. The intensity and the intimacy of collaboration.”
Speaking of work, Ford does not want to be known as a legend. According to the star, he prefers to be called a “working actor.”
Can Cruise continue the Mission: Impossible franchise for another 20 years?
Cruise first took on the role of Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible which premiered in 1996. Dead Reckoning Part One will be the seventh installment of the film franchise with Part Two coming in 2024. It will be Cruise’s 28th year as the super spy next year.
It’s hard to imagine the actor continuing to perform death-defying stunts until he is 80 years old. Mission: Impossible films are best known for their high-octane action sequences and stunts that get bigger with each new installment.
The actor trained for three years to perform the speed flying stunt in Mission: Impossible 7. Speed flying is much more dangerous than paragliding and sky diving as it is performed much closer to the ground. Cruise also jumped a motorcycle off a cliff in the upcoming film.
“One of the things that is particularly dangerous about speed flying is the close proximity to the ground that you’re flying,” director Christopher McQuarrie explained in an interview with Popular Mechanics. “And the other is the risk that the canopy can collapse. It’s very unpredictable.”
He adds, “Flying very close to rocks looks quite beautiful. Behind the scenes, we were all in absolute terror.”
It takes a true team effort to perform and film one of the most dangerous sports in the world – Speed Flying. pic.twitter.com/4jHSM1dMMA
— Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) June 29, 2023
Father time will eventually catch up to everyone, especially actors like Cruise and Hord who pride themselves in performing their own stunts. However, it’s still interesting to see how long Cruise can keep going. The long-time director, Christopher McQuarrie, previously teased that he and the team “already have ideas for what comes next” for Ethan Hunt as filming on the eighth film goes on.
Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One is coming to theaters on July 12.
