Tom Cruise stunned the return to CinemaCon at Caesars Palace’s Colosseum, his first visit since the pandemic. The star wowed the crowd by showing an exclusive first look at Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, the long-awaited final installment of the legendary franchise. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the movie continues where Dead Reckoning left off, with Ethan Hunt (Cruise) battling a rogue AI named The Entity. The movie is guaranteed to maintain the action-packed gripping sequences that the franchise has been famous for.
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In his address, Cruise paid tribute to McQuarrie, remembering how the director was surreptitiously brought on board to shape Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and continued to work on Top Gun: Maverick and two Mission: Impossible movies amid the pandemic challenges. In tribute, Cruise gave McQuarrie CinemaCon’s Director of the Year Award. McQuarrie, fighting back tears, thanked Cruise for believing in him when nobody else would, saying he was grateful for their intimate collaboration.
#TomCruise‘s appearance at the #CinemaCon panel! Plus Tom and Christopher hugs (and a bts photo of McQuarrie). pic.twitter.com/uJZMbdgNN1
— Tom Cruise • news source (@tomcruisse62) April 3, 2025
Unforgettable Stunts and a Star-Studded Cast
The Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning trailer showcased thrilling stunts, including Cruise crawling on a flying biplane and leaping off an aircraft carrier. The plot hints at a global conflict involving nuclear missiles, with a chilling warning from Henry Czerny’s Kittridge: “If we want to bring the world back to the brink, we have to deal with him.”
The movie also boasts a star-studded cast, which includes Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Angela Bassett. Fans can expect an unforgettable action-packed finale, which will be released in theaters on May 23, 2025.
Tribute to Val Kilmer
Before he finished, Cruise paid tribute to his old friend, Val Kilmer, with a poignant moment of silence. “I can’t tell you how much I admire his work,” Cruise said, speaking of Kilmer’s contributions to both Top Gun movies.
#TomCruise about #VanKilmer: I’d like to take a moment before we move on. I’d like to honor my dear friend. I really can’t tell you I admire his work, how much I thought of him as a human being, and how honored I was when he joined #TopGun and returned for #TopGunMaverick. pic.twitter.com/1Kb6bBCuTg
— Tom Cruise • news source (@tomcruisse62) April 3, 2025
