Which actor, apart from Tom Cruise, has appeared in all Mission: Impossible movies?

When you think of Mission: Impossible, it's impossible not to imagine Tom Cruise running at full speed or hanging from some ridiculous height (sometimes both). But there is another very familiar face who has been there every step of the way, through every twist, explosion, and impossible mission. Someone who has quietly stolen the show and grounded the entire operation and who has been beside Cruise's Ethan Hunt on all his missions.

The franchise has constantly been reinvented, introducing newer characters while Hunt and one other character have remained a constant throughout. We are talking, of course about Ving Rhames.

Portraying Luther Stickell, a highly skilled hacker and trusted member of the IMF team, Rhames has appeared in all Mission: Impossible films to date. His character is usually the calm voice of reason, grounding us technically and emotionally in an otherwise sprinting chaos of a mission.

Although his contributions are less than other members during action sequences, his character serves as the common thread that brings familiarity and a sense of allegiance to the team.

In a series that often rests on reinventing itself and changing environments, Rhames' character offers stability (in character and actor) and a sense of camaraderie that has spanned a longer, more sustainable contract. The fact that Rhames remained a constant throughout the franchise, speaks to his character's and thus, the actor's value to the heart of the series. Cruise and him are synonymous with the franchise and constitute the core legacy of the Mission: Impossible series.

What's next in the Mission: Impossible franchise?

The next installment in the Mission: Impossible movie series is called Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning and is scheduled for release on May 23, 2025. The film was originally named Dead Reckoning Part Two but was later changed to become a standalone film. Cruise is returning as Ethan Hunt and is leading a team against an AI villain named "The Entity".

Even though the SAG-AFTRA strike delayed production, filming was finished in 2024 to meet the intended release date. The film has been shot in several locations, including the UK, Malta, South Africa, and Norway, which will have a lot of the international appeal that we can expect from any Mission: Impossible film. Christopher McQuarrie who directed the previous few films of the franchise is back on board with the familiar faces of Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell, Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn, Hayley Atwell as Grace, and Esai Morales as Gabriel.

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Fans can expect an action packed ride with the team behind the film, including Cruise also hinting that it might be the end to Hunt's story. Regardless, it's an anticipated release this year and will surely give justice to the long wait fans have endured.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning will be in theaters on May 23, 2025.

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