Tom Cruise’s Bold Move To Keep ‘Mission: Impossible’ Role

Few actors are as synonymous with a certain role as Tom Cruise is with Ethan Hunt in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise. Cruise has played the character since the inaugural film in 1996, and audiences have watched him perform death-defying stunts along the way.

It's nearly impossible to consider another actor in the role, but Cruise's trademark determination seemed to come into play before 2011's "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol."

One of Cruise's longest-running co-stars appeared on a recent podcast, and he told the story of Cruise going to great lengths to remain the star of the show.

Tom Cruise Closes Door on Replacement

On the most recent episode of “Literally! with Rob Lowe," Simon Pegg explained how Cruise reacted to a potential replacement for the fourth film in the franchise.

“I remember once when we were doing ‘Ghost Protocol,’ and Paramount were trying to position Jeremy Renner as a replacement for him in a way,” Pegg said.

"And Tom flew to LA from Vancouver and cornered [former Paramount CEO] Brad Grey at a party and said, ‘No, that’s not happening.' He brought in McQ [director Christopher McQuarrie], McQ rewrote the script, and Tom maintained his position.”

Pegg said that Cruise is "almost like a walking studio."

"He has more wherewithal than anybody in any position of power in the studio system because he’s been around longer."

Cruise's Influence on the 'M:I' Series

Cruise's input and dedication have helped the latest iterations in the franchise, to the point that he is now credited as a producer himself. His influence within Hollywood was not lost on Lowe, who shared his own story about Cruise and the "Mission: Impossible" franchise on his podcast.

“One of the heads of Paramount lives up by me, and we run into each other in the gym,” he told Pegg.

"While the last ‘Mission’ was going on, I’m like, ‘What’s going on with Mission? Can’t wait to see it.’ He goes, ‘I got a phone call from Tom today. He wants another $30 million...We’ve already spent so much money, you literally cannot say no.'”

Renner would go on to appear in "Ghost Protocol", while Cruise maintained his starring role as Ethan Hunt. Renner also appeared in the fifth film in the franchise, "Rogue Nation," as intelligence analyst William Brandt.

2024's "The Final Reckoning” is rumored to be Cruise's final appearance in the Ethan Hunt role, but stopped short of confirming that he was finished with the franchise.

We'll see how much longer "Mission: Impossible" lasts, and how long Tom Cruise can last as the franchise's unquestioned star.