NEIL HALL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoningis in theaters now The eighth film in the Tom Cruise action franchise, which kicked off in 1996, is rumored to be the last Cast members including Angela Bassett and Simon Pegg tell PEOPLE whether it's truly the conclusion Nearly three decades have passed sinceTom Cruisedebuted as Ethan Hunt, a field agent for the Impossible Mission Force, in the 1996 movieMission: Impossible. Since then, he has reprised the world-saving character seven more times — while donning disguises anddoing his own stunts too— including in the most recent installment,Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning. Could this really be the last film in the long-running franchise (based on the 1966-73 CBS series)? The cast isn't so sure, even though the word "final" is in the title. "With Mr. Cruise, you can never count him down or out. He's always up for an amazing adventure and to give the audience exactly what they're craving,"Angela Bassett, who plays Erika Sloane, the CIA director turned POTUS, tells PEOPLE. Paramount Pictures and Skydance "I would never assume," she adds. Simon Pegg, who plays IMF tech turned field agent Benji Dunn, feels the same. "Never say never, do you know what I mean? That's a rule I tend to live by." "The last two together took five years to make," he continues, referencingThe Final Reckoningand its 2023 predecessor,Dead Reckoning. "So it depends entirely on a lot of things. I don't think Tom likes the idea of finality. I think even if there isn't anything that comes after this, you leave the theater feeling like, 'Oh, maybe there's more.' And I think that's the golden thing, to leave the audience feeling hope rather than despair," continues the actor, who has appeared in every movie since the third. Paramount Pictures and Skydance Hayley Atwellnotes that there's a "satisfying closure" that comes withThe Final Reckoning. "There is that sense of the emotional end of something that feels like a very emotional closure. And yet, Tom Cruise is never going to slow down. He won't ever stop. This is who he is," says the actress, who plays pickpocket Grace. Cruise himself avoided answering a question about the future of the franchise during an appearance at the Cannes Film Festival on May 14 ahead of the film's premiere. "Just let us show the movie tonight. This is like 30 years culmination of this and I think that this is — I'd rather just people see it and enjoy," Cruise said when asked whether the franchise has a future. Paramount Pictures and Skydance "We've had an amazing time doing it and it's been a lot of fun and just want you all to enjoy it, enjoy this and know everything — the culmination has come to this moment right now and it's been a lot of fun." As for directorChristopher McQuarrie, who has directed the four most recentMission: Impossiblefilms? Asked if he sees moreMission: Impossiblemovies in his future, he tells PEOPLE, "You'd have to ask me after a very long vacation." Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoningis in theaters now. Read the original article onPeople
