Tom Cruise's Cruise's involvement as Ethan Hunt. Following the success of recent installments, news that Mission: Impossible 7 & 8 would be made back-to-back pointed to their significance. It remained unclear why the two movies were being positioned this way, but it has since been revealed that Mission: Impossible 8 could see Tom Cruise exit the action franchise.
Before Ethan Hunt's final IMF mission happens, details on Mission: Impossible 7 & 8 have mostly remained under wraps besides its large cast of characters. Franchise stalwarts like Simon Pegg and Rebecca Ferguson are back for the sequels, but Mission: Impossible fans were treated to a big surprise when it was revealed Henry Czerny was returning as Eugene Kittridge. The former IMF director hasn't been part of the franchise since the original 1996 movie. Kittridge's Mission: Impossible 7 return has raised a lot of questions as a result, especially why this was the right time for him to come back.
The long-awaited reunion between Kittridge and Hunt now makes more sense if Mission: Impossible 7 & 8 are meant to wrap up the IMF spy's story. Writer and director Christopher McQuarrie has made a very conscious effort to link the franchise together since he got involved during Mission: Impossible 7 & 8 really is the end for Tom Cruise, then bringing back Kittridge is another way to wrap up his story.
While the main villain of 1996's Mission: Impossible was actually Jim Phelps (Jon Voight), the movie positions Kittridge as Hunt's enemy for most of the movie. Kittridge ultimately realizes that Hunt is the IMF's mole, but the film also doesn't give the two a chance to reconcile. If Mission: Impossible 8 is wrapping up Ethan Hunt's story, it is understandable from a storytelling perspective that he'll encounter old foes once more. Since Kittridge was there at the very beginning of Hunt's IMF journey and vehemently against him, the reunion between them can serve the story and bring Ethan's arc full circle by the time Tom Cruise exits the franchise.
Although Kittridge has long been confirmed to appear in Mission: Impossible 7 & 8, the exact nature of his role has remained under wraps. Some speculation suggests that Kittridge's return will once again see him be an antagonistic figure for Hunt, as he could work for a rival organization or group following his IMF departure. There is also the possibility that Kittridge returns to retake control of IMF and once again create problems for Tom Cruise's character. In any case, Kittridge's absence from previous sequels means the next two movies have to explain his absence, and tying his return into Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible 8 exit is the best way to do it.
