Mission: Impossible Franchise Breaks Tom Cruise Box Office Record Four Times

Tom Cruise has solidified his status as a box office powerhouse, largely attributed to the phenomenal success of the Mission: Impossible franchise. Since its debut in 1996, where Cruise stepped into the iconic role of Ethan Hunt, he has consistently shattered box office records. Prior to this franchise, films like Top Gun and Rain Man, released in 1986 and 1988 respectively, laid the groundwork for Cruise’s rising star, setting records as his highest-grossing films at the time.

Currently, Cruise’s highest-grossing film is Top Gun: Maverick, which marked a spectacular milestone by surpassing $1 billion globally. While the Mission: Impossible series has delivered remarkable returns over the years, this latest installment redefined Cruise’s box office appeal. As he prepares for what could be his final portrayal of Ethan Hunt, Cruise’s legacy within the franchise is underscored by an impressive array of box office records that it has broken time and again.

A Mission: Impossible Film Has Been Tom Cruise’s Highest-Grossing Film Four Times

Mission: Impossible Continues to Reclaim the Top Spot

With the premiere of the original Mission: Impossible in 1996, Cruise discovered a new pinnacle in his career with a box office total of $457 million, overtaking Rain Man which had earned $412 million. However, this record was short-lived as Mission: Impossible II, released in 2000, took it to new heights with a gross of $549 million, holding onto this mantle for five years before being eclipsed by War of the Worlds.

Movie	Box Office Total	Duration as Highest-Grossing Film
Mission: Impossible (1996)	$457 million	4 years
Mission: Impossible II (2000)	$549 million	5 years
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)	$694 million	7 years
Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)	$791 million	4 years

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol restored Cruise’s record as the highest-grossing film, achieving $694 million globally and surpassing War of the Worlds by approximately $90 million. Eventually, Mission: Impossible – Fallout raised the bar even higher, bringing in $791 million, marking it as Cruise’s fourth highest-grossing film. This impressive record indicates that Mission: Impossible movies have often claimed this title, highlighting their remarkable impact in his storied career.

Will Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning Break Tom Cruise’s Box Office Record?

Top Gun: Maverick Holds the Record for Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise looking off-screen in Mission Impossible The Final Reckoning

Following the remarkable success of Mission: Impossible II, each subsequent film has found a way to surpass its predecessor in box office earnings, setting the stage for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. However, the film faces a significant challenge in dethroning Top Gun: Maverick, which currently stands at an impressive $1.4 billion. To surpass this figure, The Final Reckoning would need to achieve nearly double the earnings of the highest-grossing Mission: Impossible film, a daunting task by industry standards.

Regardless of whether The Final Reckoning surpasses Top Gun: Maverick in earnings, the legacy of the Mission: Impossible franchise is firmly established. It remains Cruise’s most lucrative series, underscoring its pivotal role in propelling him to global stardom. Even if it doesn’t set a new record, Mission: Impossible has already made a significant mark, and if The Final Reckoning does manage to break the record, Cruise would surely exit the franchise on the highest of notes.

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