During the introduction to the Sydney premiere of « Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 », star Tom Cruise indicated how much longer he thought he’d be making « Mission: Impossible » films. And rest assured, retirement is not around the corner. Superstar Tom Cruise opened up about the future of the franchise he’s been carrying since 1996. Tom Cruise has become a megastar thanks in no small part to his films, which have so far grossed a record $3.5 billion at the global box office, and his Ethan Hunt character has entered the pantheon of great movie heroes. That’s why, at the premiere, in remarks reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, the actor and producer reacted to the comparison with Harrison Ford, who has just hung up his Indiana Jones hat and whip after 42 years of loyal service. The question is whether, like Harrison Ford, he can keep up Mission: Impossible until he’s 80? And he answered yes. Harrison Ford is a myth. I hope I can go on, I’ve got 20 years to catch up with him. I hope I can make Mission: Impossible films until I’m his age! It’s clear that, thanks to TV series, actors and actresses can more easily play their roles over several decades, and Harrison Ford holds the record for longevity as a character in the film. A double record in fact, as he has played Han Solo and Indiana Jones over a 42-year period, from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in 1977 to Star Wars Episode IX: The Skywalker Ascension in 2019, and from Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981 to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny in 2023. Only Sylvester Stallone has reached the same mark with the Rocky films. If Tom Cruise were to play Ethan Hunt until he is 80 – he is currently 61 – and given that he took on the role in 1996, his incarnation of the character would span 46 years. This would put him ahead of Harrison Ford and Sylvester Stallone in terms of longevity. However, Tom Cruise has not declared that he will remain Ethan Hunt until he is 80, but that he hopes to make Mission: Impossible films until that age. Was it the actor and performer who spoke, or the saga’s producer?