Mission Impossible films 'get a HUGE update as Tom Cruise begins work on the next two movies in the iconic series'

Tom Cruise is reportedly set to cast a younger version of himself for his next two  Mission: Impossible movies.

The Hollywood legend, 62, could be on the hunt to find the perfect fit to play younger Ethan Hunt in the epic action franchise. 

The huge opportunity rises as reports emerged that Tom wants to shed a light on the protagonist's early days - in a bid to 'explore Ethan's past'.

'The scenes will show Ethan in his early life and explore the things that happened to him before he went on to start working as a spy,' an insider told The Sun.

'It is something they've not done before with Mission: Impossible and so Tom thinks it could be a really interesting tangent for fans.' 

'They're going to start looking for a young star to take on the role and they will appear a bit in the next film and then more in the ninth.

'They are seeking a youngster who is completely fresh on the scene and will cause a real stir.'

Adding the opportunity is 'undoubtedly huge', the telly source added is vital for the actor to 'get the right person' for this role.

Earlier in November, the first trailer of Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning was finally released, as the long-awaited film confirmed its title after months of delays.  

Reprising his role as the titular hero, Tom  is set to take on his biggest mission yet, after a tense cliffhanger saw the spy determined to track down cyber weapon The Entity.

In the new trailer, fans get a glimpse back through some of the film franchise's most iconic moments, as Ethan pleads with his team to 'trust him one last time.'

A voice narrates: 'Everything you were, everything you've done, has come to this.

'When the need for certainty is absolute and the odds are deemed impossible, the mission falls to him, should he choose to accept.'

The preview offers glimpses of Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg and Vanessa Kirby, while Esai Morales returns as the villainous Gabriel.

As Ethan battles to find the mysterious Entity, he'll face some of his biggest stunts yet, including being forced to dangle from a World War II plane.

Tom himself revealed the film's title for the first time on Instagram last month, sharing a snap of the film's poster with caption: 'Every choice has led to this.'

The film, which has faced multiple delays, is finally due to hit cinemas on May 23 2025. 

The filming of the UK scenes of the eighth instalment of the Mission Impossible franchise initially took place between March and December 2022.

Production on the eighth film had originally halted so that the cast could promote Part One, and then the SAG-AFTRA strike began causing further delays.

Production restarted soon after, but was suspended in July due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes.

Filming resumed in March 2024, but came to another halt in May, allegedly due to a faulty gimbal (a camera tool). 

Mission Impossible 8 was originally meant to be filmed back-to-back with Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, which raked in over half a billion at box office.

If not for the strikes, MI:8 would have been with fans by the end of summer: its scheduled release date is now May 23, 2025.

As well as Tom, the eighth Mission Impossible film will also see the return of Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, and Vanessa Kirby.

It is hoped that the actor will not have to resort to desperately begging studio bosses to extend the film's run this time around.

When the seventh film hit cinemas, the actor was concerned about Oppenheimer overshadowing the film, as it required the same limited screens.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One underperformed at the box office compared to the previous films in the franchise, despite Tom's attempts to extend its run.

He was proved right as Oppenheimer achieved almost $400 million more than Mission: Impossible at box office.

The Mission: Impossible film series began in 1996 and is based on the 1966 television series of the same name.