Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning marks the end of the popular spy saga starring Tom Cruise. Nearly thirty years in the making, the franchise has followed the high-stakes adventures of Ethan Hunt. Along the way, he built a team of elite agents, each adding their own strengths to the mission.
But with Hunt’s story now concluded, fans online believe the franchise could continue without Cruise’s character — and they’ve already picked three possible successors.
Jane Carter
Agent Jane Carter was part of Hunt’s ever-changing team in Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol. Her partner, Trevor Hanaway, was killed during a mission, pushing Carter and Benji Dunn to team up with Ethan Hunt to track down the assassin. Their pursuit led them into a massive web of international terrorism that nearly triggered a nuclear war.
Although Jane hasn’t appeared since Ghost Protocol, she remains a strong and memorable character who deserves more screen time — potentially even as the new lead of the franchise.
Benji Dunn
The tech genius first appeared alongside Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible III and quickly became a key part of the team, aiding the mission for over two decades.
Benji is second only to Ethan in seniority, and at one point, Hunt himself even calls him "the new team leader." His actions during the fight against the Entity proved he’s got the heroism and smarts to take the lead.
Ilsa Faust
A former MI6 agent, Ilsa Faust joined Hunt’s team after first crossing paths with him in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. Sadly, in Dead Reckoning, she appears to meet her end when Gabriel stabs her during a brutal fight in the canals of Venice.
Still, many fans hold out hope that Ilsa somehow survived — she has faked her death before. Rebecca Ferguson has repeatedly shown she’s a top-tier action star, making her a perfect choice to carry the Mission: Impossible torch in Tom Cruise’s place.
