The teaser trailer for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is finally here, and here are eight fan theories that emerged following the reveal of the eighth Mission: Impossible film. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is set to bring an end to the beloved Tom Cruise franchise, seemingly putting an end to Ethan Hunt’s story after nearly three decades of Mission: Impossible films. Because of its conclusive history, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning There’s a lot of ground to coverwhich means these 10 fan theories about the film could come true.
The first teaser trailer for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning offers a first look at monitoring Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Onehighlighting Ethan Hunt’s ongoing battle against the Entity. The trailer shows an epic plane maneuver, some dialogue that foreshadows tragic events and a lot of payback Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning cast members. Although the story was left fairly vague after the first teaser, it does offer some major hints about what could happen in the film, leaving plenty of room for speculation about Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.
Finally answering a big mystery of the franchise
Following the trailer’s release, the most popular fan theory about Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning was that the film will bring back the Rabbit’s Foot Mission: Impossible III. The Rabbit’s Foot is a mysterious item that was first introduced in the third Mission: Impossible ride, and as is the case with many MacGuffins throughout director JJ Abrams’ filmography, very little has been revealed about it. It is known that the Rabbit’s Foot was an incredibly dangerous item that was sold to terrorists, with Ethan Hunt and the IMF stopping this plot.
A shot from Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning The trailer shows Ethan Hunt picking up the jar of rabbit’s foot, kicking off speculation. The actual recovery of Rabbit’s Foot was never shown on screen, meaning this is an entirely new scene for the 2025 film. Therefore, Rabbit’s Foot will undoubtedly play an important role in the Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoningwith Ethan and the IMF having to retrieve it for some unknown reason. However, another theory addresses exactly what Rabbit’s Foot could be.
Explaining the origin of the AI antagonist
Although Mission: Impossible III never explicitly reveals what the rabbit’s foot isThere are some moments in which its nature is implicit, generating a lot of speculation. The most popular theory is that the rabbit’s foot is a dangerous biological weapon, explaining why it is contained in a vial. However, his return in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning suggests otherwise, as there’s apparently no reason why Ethan would need to use a bioweapon in a fight against the AI villain The Entity.
However, Rabbit’s Foot’s return would make a lot more sense if Rabbit’s Foot was actually The Entity. The nature of the Entity still has many unanswered questions, with Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One just scratching the surface of what AI is. However, it is entirely possible that the mechanical flask contains the computer the Entity is in, with Ethan Hunt controlling the Entity by controlling the Rabbit’s Foot. While this may seem like a stretch, it’s the simplest explanation for why Rabbit’s Foot is back. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.
6
Erika Sloane is the President at Final Reckoning
Explaining his lack of mortal reckoning
Possibly the most likely theory after the first trailer for the eighth Mission: Impossible movie has to do with Angela Bassett Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning character, Erika Sloane. Erika Sloane was last seen in Mission: Impossible – FalloutShe is a former director of the CIA before being promoted to secretary of the IMF at the end of the film. Despite this major promotion, Sloane did not appear in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One at all, with her not appearing again until Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.
Sloane has apparently received a major upgrade in the years since she was seen, like the Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning teaser implies she is now the president of the United States. Her scene in the teaser shows her exiting Air Force One to receive greetings from a large welcome wagon, something that wouldn’t happen if she were overseeing a secret organization like the IMF. So it’s clear that Erika Sloane was busy campaigning in the last film, with Erika Sloane now the President of the United States.
5
Degas will join Ethan’s team (without Briggs)
He may have cheated on his partner
Jasper Briggs and Degas were two of the most interesting new characters in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part OneThey are two agents tasked by the United States Intelligence Community with tracking down and arresting Ethan Hunt. In the movie, their goal was to get the Entity key from Ethan, and while they weren’t able to do that, they will likely continue to do so in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. However, this may not last long based on the teaser trailer.
Briggs is barely in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning provocationwhich is strange considering his lead role in the previous film. However, the teaser contains a scene where Degas works alongside Ethan, Benji and other IMF agents, implying that he has now joined them. Briggs is not in this scene, which means he is either still hunting Ethan’s team or that he died before Degas decided to switch sides. This is an interesting character development for Degas, implying that he may have a much larger role in the Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.
4
Kittridge will betray the IMF and work with Gabriel
Turning him into a great antagonist
Briggs isn’t the only character who appears to be switching allegiances Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoningteaser trailer for, as it looks like Kittridge will do exactly the same thing. Eugene Kittridge made his long-awaited return in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Onewith him being antagonistic to Ethan Hunt despite still opposing the Entity. However, a scene in the teaser shows him alongside Gabriel, meaning he may have switched sides.
As Gabriel is the main human antagonist of Mission: Impossible – The Final ReckoningKittridge standing next to him would be awkward if they weren’t working together. Since the Entity is an omniscient AI, it wouldn’t be difficult to find a way to turn Kittridge around, giving the Entity an incredibly dangerous ally in its fight against Ethan Hunt.
3
Luther will die in the final reckoning
After surviving all the other films
Although there is the possibility of many deaths occurring in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoningone of the characters who seems most likely to be at risk is Luther. After being practically marginalized in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part OneLuther receives a main focus on Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoningteaser trailer. He is seen wearing a hospital gown in most of his appearances.which means something clearly went wrong with the character.
Luther provides much of the teaser’s narration, and much of the teaser focuses on Ethan having to choose between his friends and his mission. This further implies that some of Ethan’s friends will be sacrificed in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoningwith Luther tragically being the leading candidate.
2
One of Ethan’s friends will become IMF secretary
Succeeding Erika Sloane
The position of the IMF Secretary has changed a lot over the years Mission: Impossible franchise, and it looks like it will be open once again. Although Erika Sloane was nominated for the role in Mission: Impossible – Fallouthis potential presidency means the position is once again vacant. If this really is the end Mission: Impossible movie, so it would only make sense for one of Ethan’s friends to fill the role.
While Ethan Hunt is the most obvious candidate for being the franchise’s protagonist, it doesn’t seem like the right ending for the character. Your frequent conflicts with the IMF mean you’re unlikely to get the job, and even if you did, it doesn’t seem like something you’d want to do. Someone like Benji, however, would make a much better secretaryhe is one of the main candidates for the position.
1
Ethan Hunt will die
Ending Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible Story
If Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is the last Mission: Impossible movie, then Ethan Hunt could end up dying. Ethan sacrificing himself to stop the Entity would be a heroic way to end his arc, as retiring doesn’t seem like something Ethan would want to do. Ethan’s death seems to be the only way Tom Cruise can properly end his time on the series, making this a likely ending.
There are other options, however. As already mentioned, retirement or promotion to a higher position at the IMF would explain Ethan’s absence from future Mission: Impossible films, allowing a new protagonist to take control. However, killing him would be the cleanest way to do it, meaning that Tom Cruise would never have to return after the end of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.