Mission: Impossible’s Simon Pegg Weighs In On Whether He’ll Keep Working With Tom Cruise After Franchise Ends And He Finally ‘Stops Jumping Off S–t’
Simon Pegg has been working with Tom Cruise for almost two decades. Fans may know that in the Mission: Impossible films, Pegg plays Benji Dunn, an IMF technician who helps Cruise’s Ethan Hunt achieve the, well, impossible. The action franchise has continued for a while, and rumors suggest that M:I 8 may be the end for the series, or at least Cruise’s tenure with it. Now, Pegg is weighing in on what he sees for the Top Gun actor’s post-Mission career, and if he thinks that he will get to be a part of it.
The Shaun of the Dead star — who’s been part of some of M:I‘s best mask-rip reveals — recently sat down with The Independent to talk about his films and his own relationship with the blockbuster franchise. While he clearly enjoys working within that universe, even he knows it can’t go on forever. He didn’t confirm or deny if he and Tom Cruise would hang it up after serving as Mission: Impossible 8 cast members. but he did comment on what he believes Cruise’s next phase of acting will look like. He also revealed his thoughts on working with the Risky Business actor again post-Mission, saying:
I don’t know. I love working with Tom [see?] and he’s really good fun to work with but I get the feeling that when Tom goes off and does other things, it’ll be a completely different thing. He has a whole other age to come in his career. He’s a very good actor, a very, very good actor – as we’ve seen in Magnolia and Jerry Maguire… I think when he finally stops jumping off shit, he’ll have a third act. And yes it’d be nice to be a part of that.
Simon Pegg previously opened up about the effect that Tom Cruise’s love for “jumping off shit” has had on the rest of the cast. While they are in awe of the actor’s otherworldly abilities, Pegg still worries about the possibility that Cruise could seriously injure himself. This fear likely continues in M:I 8, for which even more mind-blowing and death-defying stunts have been teased. After Dead Reckoning Part One, the next film has a lot to live up too, and it may be difficult for the eighth movie to stand on its own.
The Paul actor isn’t the only one who has speculated about what the Oscar nominee’s next career phase may look like. Movies like Top Gun: Maverick and a planned SpaceX film suggest that the Oscar nominee isn’t ready to slow down quite yet. However, as much as we love watching him run and jump off tall buildings, cliffs, and trains, surely some would also love to see the actor return to quieter roles and show off his dramatic acting chops. He is always unpredictable, so when we do finally learn about his next project, it will likely shock as well as challenge both the star himself and his audience.
Even if M:I 8 is the end for Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, it’s very sweet that Simon Pegg hopes that his unlikely friendship and collaborations with the movie star will live on. They make a great duo, and have complimented each other well throughout the run of the franchise. Those movies are no easy feat, and having a familiar face to support you throughout is something really special. I think all Mission fans would love to see these two back on the big screen together again in some capacity — just hopefully on something maybe a little less dangerous.
You can catch Simon Pegg and Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part One, which is currently available to rent on Amazon. You can also see the duo in previous installments of the Mission: Impossible franchise which are streaming now with a Paramount+ subscription.
