Folks, this may be hard to believe, but Tom Cruise can’t do this forever. We may believe the world’s most evergreen action star is immortal but eventually time will be up and so, if Mission: Impossible is to continue, we’ll need a successor to Ethan Hunt in the Impossible Mission Force. And so, the rumour mill has been buzzing that Cruise might be eyeing Top Gun: Maverick co-star Glen Powell to take over his iconic role in the Mission: Impossible franchise. But Powell seems to have quashed those hopes, albeit with a laugh and a playful nod to his mom.

During the November 12 broadcast of The Pat McAfee Show, ESPN commentator and WWE wrestler Pat McAfee decided to go straight to the source, FaceTiming Powell live on air to get the truth behind the buzz. After reading him the rumour, McAfee jokingly congratulated Powell, saying, “We just want to call and say congratulations, brother.”

Powell burst out laughing and attempted to pour cold water on the speculation, adding that his mother would never let him do that particular role, joking that the franchise is “the worst gig in town” and is a “death trap”, which is believable when you consider the lengths Cruise has gone to in the movies, including hanging off a moving airplane, scaling the Burj Khalifa, and most recently, riding a motorcycle off a cliff in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning.

Why Would Glen Powell Be a Good Fit for ‘Mission: Impossible’?

The idea of Powell taking over Mission: Impossible isn’t far-fetched given his track record. Both actors are known for their commitment to stunts, as seen in Top Gun: Maverick, where Powell and Cruise both took to the skies in fighter jets. Powell also took the lead in 2024’s Twisters, opposite Daisy Edgar-Jones, a disaster-action film that brought him even more into the action spotlight. Cruise even attended the Twisters premiere, posing with Powell and sharing a photo on Instagram with the caption, “Fun night with friends, watching a movie!”

As for Mission: Impossible, fans can look forward to The Final Reckoning, the eighth installment in the action-packed series, set to hit theaters on May 23, 2025. Despite its title, there’s been no official word on whether it will truly be Cruise’s last mission as Ethan Hunt. But if it is, we’ll need to ask Glen Powell’s mom if we can borrow him to save the world. Stay tuned to Collider for more.