The first Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning The trailer revealed several major new story details and franchise connections that are extremely important. The eighth installment in Tom Cruise’s action franchise arrives in May 2025, but Paramount provided the first official look at the film much earlier. THE Mission: Impossible 8 the release of the teaser trailer came, as expected, before Gladiator II so audiences could see it on the big screen in the coming months. In addition to confirming the new title of the film Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoningprovided a glimpse of what’s next for Ethan Hunt.
Building from Mission: Impossible – ReckoningAt the end of, the sequel is again based on Ethan’s hunt to find and destroy the Entity, the powerful AI that could bring about the end of humanity. Cruise’s character is joined again by Benji (Simon Pegg), Luther (Ving Rhames) and Grace (Hayley Atwell), while Gabriel (Esai Morales) and Kittridge (Henry Czerny) return as well. Although these details were apparent based on how Reckoning When putting together a sequel, how it all fits together becomes more evident thanks to the plot points and franchise connections in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoningtrailer.
Mission: Impossible 3 MacGuffin makes a surprise return
A big revelation from the footage is the confirmation that Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is connected to the rabbit’s foot. The franchise introduced audiences and Ethan to the mysterious superweapon in Mission: Impossible IIIwhile JJ Abrams deployed his mystery box narrative and gave no answers about the MacGuffin. The trailer shows the moment Ethan steals the Rabbit’s Footwhich is something that was not shown in Mission: Impossible 3confirming that this is new footage for the film.
The decision to include Mission: Impossible 3The Rabbit’s Foot in the trailer is notable, as this connection to the franchise was not previously known. It seems that The final reckoning will incorporate the unspecified weapon in some way. The most likely outcome is that the Rabbit’s Foot is an important piece of the puzzle of the Entity’s defeat or the AI’s plan to destroy humanity. In either case, this puts the franchise in a position to answer a major mystery if The final reckoning explains what Rabbit’s Foot really is.
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Paris and Degas joined Ethan Hunt’s side – are they from the IMF?
They worked against him in a mortal reckoning
It is also revealed that Ethan Hunt has some new allies in The final reckoning. In several shots, Paris (Pom Klementieff) and Degas (Greg Tarzan Davis) are shown alongside Grace and Benji. This is notable because Paris worked for Gabriel most of the time. Reckoning before turning to help Ethan, just as the Entity predicted. Meanwhile, Degas worked for Briggs and was part of the group trying to stop Ethan at the request of the Commonwealth. They are now aligned with him and his team to The final reckoning.
The question that now arises with Paris and Degas is whether they are part of the Impossible Mission Force. Reckoning got Grace to join the IMF after talking to Kittridge, but there was no inclination for Paris and Degas to do the same. Both characters who came to work with Ethan instead of against him were created in Reckoning. However, this does not mean that they are officially part of the IMF. That’s the most likely explanation, unless Benji and Grace go rogue, turning Ethan’s new team at the IMF into The final reckoning.
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Luther remains supportive to fight the entity
He went underground in Dead Reckoning
Luther’s situation in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is teased for a few moments in the trailer. He notably decided that he needed to leave Ethan’s side in Reckoning so he could go underground and go completely offline to try and find a way to defeat the Entity. Rather than the sequel ignoring this period of Luther’s journey so that he could remain in the mix with the main characters, the Final reckoning trailer confirms that Luther is still isolated.
However, Luther will not be completely isolated throughout the film. Mission: Impossible – The Final ReckoningThe teaser confirmed that Ethan will visit Luther at least once in his secret hideout. This potentially means an even smaller role for Luther than in the Reckoning. There is even reason to worry about his fate in the film, as months or years of isolation hunting the Entity could make him one of Gabriel’s main targets. The fact that Luther is already apparently wearing a hospital gown only creates more anxiety.
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Franz Krieger’s knife from the original Mission: Impossible
The original 1996 film is seen again
One of the fun callbacks of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning teaser trailer comes with Ethan Holding the Knife 1996 Mission: Impossible on a cargo plane. The moment arrives immediately after the trailer shows the iconic moment of Ethan hanging on the floor during the Langley break-in sequence, while the knife he drops during his escape is also shown falling. This knife, which belonged to Franz Krieger (Jean Reno), was last in the possession of CIA analyst William Donloe (Rolf Saxon).
The appearance of Franz Krieger’s knife is notable for The final reckoning in terms of connecting the franchise. There is a clear desire for the eighth installment to tie Ethan’s battle against the Entity with the full scope of his career at the IMF, including the events of 1996. Mission: Impossible. Ethan holding a gun from his most iconic moment in the franchise signals the way The final reckoning is remembering what happened before.
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William Donloe’s Return After Mission: Impossible Teased
The former CIA analyst is returning
The return of Franz Krieger’s knife is also important when it comes to setting up William Donloe’s return in Mission: Impossible 8. The trailer includes a shot of Donloe from the original film holding the knife. The weapon’s return is directly connected to the confirmed return of Rolf Saxon, which director Christopher McQuarrie previously revealed.
Before returning for the eighth film, the last information provided about Donloe was that he would be transferred to Alaska as punishment for the Langley invasion. It appears he held the knife as a symbol of Ethan and his team’s betrayal and the day that changed his career. The fact that Ethan has the knife indicates that the film should put him and Donloe face to face at some point in the narrative.
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Kittridge is apparently aligned with Gabriel in the final calculation
Kittridge may once again be on Ethan’s bad side
Mission: Impossible – Reckoning started the trend of connecting more heavily to the original franchise film by bringing Kittridge back for the first time. He once again appears in The final reckoningand the only glimpse of it is revealing. Kittridge was portrayed more as an ally of Ethan in Reckoningsince he was the one who asked him to go find Ilsa Faust, with Ethan even expressing that Grace can trust him in the end. However, The final reckoning seems to put Kittridge back into villain mode, as he is potentially aligned with Gabriel.
The only scene of Kittridge in the trailer comes as he talks to Ethan, but the surprise comes with Gabriel standing behind Kittridge. Its proximity and What Kittridge says suggests he is no longer an opposing force to Gabriel and the Entity but rather someone who is working with them. He teases Ethan by saying: “That’s the standard, isn’t it? You refuse to sacrifice those you keep close.” Kittridge is poking at Ethan’s supposed weakness as he now works with Gabriel.
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Erika Sloane is President of the United States
Angela Bassett’s character was missing from Dead Reckoning
There is confirmation that Angela Bassett returns as Erika Sloane in The final reckoning thanks to the trailer, and how it’s done comes with a major new reveal. Former CIA director of Mission: Impossible – Fallout is shown exiting Air Force One while being greeted by several military personnel. This moment confirms that Sloane is now the President of the United States at the moment The final reckoning it happens.
The revelation that Sloane is now Madame President comes after she was surprisingly absent from the Reckoning. However, the film still used a small detail to help define his new political stance, as his photo hangs in Denlinger’s office. Understandably, Sloane returns The final reckoning as the threat posed by the Entity and Gabriel is reaching its peak. The greater threat this poses to all of humanity brings her into the fold, while the photo of her holding the cruciform key shows that she will be quite practical.
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Marie has a bigger role to play in the final reckoning
She might save Ethan’s life in a way
Mission: Impossible – The Final ReckoningThe trailer also teases Marie’s larger role in the sequel. Reckoning introduced the character as a woman from Ethan’s past who Gabriel killed, leading him to join the IMF. The flashback left doubts about their relationship, and it was expected that The final reckoning would build on that. Marie is shown in the trailer swimming to the bottom of the water where Ethan is lying – apparently lifeless – and breathing air through his mouth.
What is not clear in this scene with Marie is her true nature. Ethan looks the same age as he is today, so this isn’t a flashback sequence. This could be a dream Ethan has where Marie helps save his life. However, there is also the chance that Marie, or even more so, her memory, will reach Ethan as he is dying and help give him a new life. Either way, it’s unlikely that this is a literal scene where Marie gives Ethan oxygen, but rather some kind of metaphor.
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Ethan finds Sevastopol (and the entity’s source code?)
He seeks to fulfill a goal
Mission: Impossible – Reckoning set up Ethan’s new task to find the Sevastopol submarine and possibly the Entity’s source code in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. The trailer footage shows that Ethan arrives at the sunken giant submarine and looks to it for answers. It’s unclear from the footage whether this is where the story begins or ends, but the former seems more likely, as Ethan could be alone searching for the Entity afterwards. Reckoning.
The question the trailer leaves viewers with is whether he found the Entity’s source code in the submarine. There is a moment when he takes some technology from the submarine and look at him. This could be the moment Ethan finds the source of the Entity. This would give him, Luther, and the team a chance to find a way to help defeat the AI and take it offline throughout the main narrative.
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The final reckoning could be Ethan’s last mission
Ethan needs reassurance “one last time”
The overarching message of Mission: Impossible – The Final ReckoningThe title and trailer of this is the end. The consistent franchise connections and reflection on Ethan’s career work to help create a climactic feeling for what’s to come. This includes moments like Ethan telling someone in need to trust him “once again.” This line was chosen to end the trailer before the Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning the title card is shown creates a certain purpose.
The possibility of The final reckoning finishing the Mission: Impossible franchise is not very surprising. The eighth film was rumored to be Cruise’s swan song in the franchise from the time it was first reported to be in development. This was before several delays and changes were made to the film, so the plan may have evolved and no longer be accurate. This doesn’t change the fact that marketing is clearly setting up Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning It will be the last time audiences see Ethan Hunt.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is the direct sequel to Dead Reckoning – Part One and is the eighth film in the Mission: Impossible franchise. Billed as the final film, Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg and others will reprise their roles on Ethan Hunt’s IMF team as they face a dangerous enemy from their past.