The most indestructible agent in the modern blockbuster universe is back - and with a look that's more vulnerable than fearless. The trailer for "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" promises not only another dose of high-octane chases, but also an emotional conclusion to the franchise that has grown (and soared) with Tom Cruise since 1996.
With every piece Mission Impossible Tom Cruise has pushed the boundaries of the physical as Ethan Hunt – but now it seems the biggest upheavals are internal. The new trailer (officially released on April 7, 2025) for the final installment – Mission: Impossible – Revenge – shows a darker tone that contrasts sharply with the lightness of the earlier sequels. The camerawork is more restrained, the color palette is cooler, and the music is almost elegiac. It all feels like a slow farewell that Ethan Hunt (or Tom Cruise?) is writing to himself.
McQuarrie is clearly ramping up everything he's set up in the previous three films - from secret societies to identity confusion. But this time, for the first time, it feels like it's not just about saving the world, but saving yourself.
Tom Cruise: still in the air, but with his feet closer to the ground
Cruise remains one of the few actors who, with physical dedication and (probably madness) creates scenes that take the audience's breath away. Yes, in the trailer he jumps off a cliff on his motorbike again. Of course. But more than that, his expression is striking – seriousness, almost melancholy. Although Hunt is still running (of course), it seems as if there is something else hidden in this running than just the task – perhaps remorse, fatigue, doubt. We will experience this too in Mission: Impossible: Revenge.
At one key moment in the trailer, he looks directly into the camera (or is it himself?) and says: “Everything I have been has brought me here.” This line might sound banal if it weren't saturated with two decades of decisions and consequences.
Aesthetics: a world in disintegration, aesthetics in control
Visually, the film clearly stays true to its aesthetic – real locations, impressive scenery, no unnecessary CGI. While we have all the classic ingredients: trains, helicopters, subways, broken buildings – McQuarrie and the team maintain a surprisingly clean visual language. Everything feels more mature, more considered, less “look-at-me” than, say, Fast & Furious.
The sound design in the trailer is in a class of its own. That familiar ta-ta… ta-ta from the original theme music now comes from the background, from the darkness, almost like a heartbeat slowing down. It creates unease. Not because of danger, but because of the feeling that something is ending.
Cast: strong but not flashy
Despite the impressive cast (Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Angela Bassett, Esai Morales…) the trailer wisely doesn’t reveal too much. There’s no classic dialogue either. "We have built something that can destroy the world" structure, but it's more about trust, betrayal, choice. And that gives hope that the film might just go beyond its own formula.
Conclusion: the last leap… into the depths
“Mission: Impossible – Fallout” isn’t just another explosive ride on steroids, judging by the trailer. If the film doesn’t fool us with excessive sentimentality or its own grandeur, we could get that rare thing in the modern action genre: a truly dignified conclusion.
Sure, we'll still be gnashing our teeth during the scenes where Cruise hangs from a plane. But if the trailer is anything to go by, the biggest threat to Ethan Hunt this time around will be himself.
And maybe that's why this mission... is finally not impossible. But it is - personal.
