10 Movie Franchises Like Mission: Impossible (And Where to Start)
Across eight films and nearly 30 years, Mission: Impossible has established itself as one of the greatest action film franchises of all time. Featuring Tom Cruise as Impossible Mission Force agent Ethan Hunt, the series capitalizes on the appeal of the spy thriller premise, offers viewers an iconic action hero, and outdoes itself with over-the-top and adrenaline-rush-inducing stunts.
However, the franchise’s future is uncertain, with Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning positioned as the last installment in the series. For now, viewers can use our guide to find 10 more great action franchises reminiscent of Mission: Impossible on platforms like Peacock, Max, and more.
One of the few action heroes who gives Ethan Hunt a run for his money is the iconic MI6 agent, James Bond. The James Bond franchise franchise has the advantage of time and flexibility over Mission: Impossible, which began in the 1960s and features seven different actors as Bond. Across all seven actors, James Bond has maintained his gentleman spy persona, thrilling fans with his charm and suave mannerisms. Meanwhile, the franchise has shifted and evolved over the years, offering viewers a little bit of everything, whether campiness, romance, chills, thrills, or over-the-top spy stories. James Bond is similar to Mission: Impossible but with more films, style, and variety.
There are 25 Bond movies to enjoy, and even more if you include "unofficial" versions like Never Say Never Again, so this could keep you entertained for a while! But if you're interested in more modern action flicks, check out Daniel Craig's 5-movie run—starting with Casino Royale.
John Wick is perfect for viewers who love Mission: Impossible but are interested in a franchise with a little more depth. John Wick is action-packed, and its titular character (Keanu Reeves) is another action hero capable of carrying a full-fledged franchise. Focusing on a legendary assassin who returns to the criminal underworld after losing his wife and dog, John Wick is outlandish, action-packed, and thrilling. However, it’s also a surprisingly human and complex look at grief, mental health, and trauma with intricate worldbuilding. John Wick may not boast the over-the-top stunts of Mission: Impossible, but it's a beautifully, delicately choreographed and crafted action franchise.
Unlike some of the other movies on this list, the best movie to kickoff your John Wick movie marathon is with the very first movie, John Wick.
Top Gun is arguably the action franchise with the most similarities to Mission: Impossible. After all, it boasts the franchise’s two biggest ingredients: Tom Cruise and jaw-dropping stunts. Top Gun is essentially Mission: Impossible but for aviation enthusiasts, as it follows Maverick Mitchell (Cruise) and his adventures at Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School. The franchise finds a bit more balance between action and drama. However, its groundbreaking aerial stunts make up for what it lacks in hand-to-hand combat.
The best way to enjoy this franchise is by watching Top Gun, followed by Top Gun: Maverick. This way, you can enjoy all the nostalgic callbacks to the original. There's also good news for Top Gun fans—following the success of Top Gun: Maverick, the franchise has a third film on the way!
Viewers who love Mission: Impossible's stylishness will love Kingsman. Kingsman is a spy action franchise featuring elite spies with a sophisticated and gentlemanly style. The main difference between Kingsman and Mission: Impossible is that the former leans more into dark humor and boasts an irreverent tone. It still has all the ingredients of an action franchise with over-the-top and often shocking action sequences, surprise twists, and suave agents. However, Kingsman doesn’t take itself too seriously, making it the perfect alternative for viewers seeking a self-aware action-packed franchise that pokes a bit of fun at James Bond and Mission: Impossible.
Fast & Furious is another franchise that strongly parallels Mission: Impossible with its over-the-top action sequences and stunts. While the franchise shifts between heist, buddy comedy, racing, and spy genres, it always guarantees viewers an action-packed ride. What started as a franchise about illegal street racing soon broadened its horizons, matching Mission: Impossible’s tone with impossible missions, stunts, and heists and capitalizing on big names like Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Fast & Furious isn’t as sophisticated and twisty as Mission: Impossible, but it’s an excellent alternative for some pure action entertainment.
Start with The Fast and the Furious so you can follow along, but also be warned: the first movie is more rustic than later entries, and the franchise arguably becomes more Mission-coded as it goes along. They might be stealing DVD players in the beginning, but this group of races soon get deeper into the world of international espionage—even if it is from behind the wheel of a 1970 Dodge Charger R/T.
While both the Bourne and Mission: Impossible franchises feature spy action, they have different approaches to the genre. Bourne adds mystery to the mix by making its hero, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), a CIA assassin suffering from amnesia. Bourne still parallels Hunt strongly with his intelligence, capabilities, and charm despite the amnesia. Meanwhile, the franchise is an excellent choice for viewers seeking a more grounded action franchise. Bourne doesn’t boast the same flashy set designs, over-the-top stunts, and humor as Mission: Impossible, which sometimes serves it well by adding a sense of realism to its stories.
The impact Bourne had on the action genre cannot be understated, and although Mission Impossible came out a few years earlier, Bourne's visceral action sequences definitely had some impact on Mission: Impossible entries such as Ghost Protocol and Rogue Nation.
The Mad Max franchise franchise is the perfect choice for viewers seeking an action franchise with a darker, grittier aesthetic. Mad Max is a dystopian action franchise that centers on the adventures of Max “Mad Max” Rockatansky (Mel Gibson and Tom Hardy), a former police officer who becomes a drifter and “road warrior” in a post-apocalyptic Australia. The apocalyptic fun starts with Mad Max 2, with each subsequent film boasting bigger and better action and stunts. Mad Max: Fury Road’s stunts are especially awe-inspiring considering they’re largely real, relying on very little CGI. Mad Max has a fairly different vibe from Mission: Impossible, but it’s a must-see for any action fan.
Although Fury Road was released decades after the original Mad Max, it's one of the few prequels that should definitely be watched first. Not only does Fury Road have all the benefits of modern filmmaking technology, but it also has a fantastic story and some of the best action sequences of the entire franchise. I'd recommend watching the movies chronologically, starting with Fury Road to hook you in before diving deeper into George Miller's Wasteland.
Terminator is a fun action franchise with a sci-fi/time-traveling twist. The franchise follows T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a cybernetic assassin working for Skynet, who travels through time to take out targets and influence the war against Skynet and humans in Skynet’s favor. Terminator may especially appeal to Mission: Impossible fans now, given that the latter franchise has also delved into AI threats in its last two films. Both franchises explore the repercussions of unchecked technological advances, although Terminator goes much further into the sci-fi and post-apocalyptic genre with its mind-bending time travel premise.
If you want to full enjoy the franchise, starting with The Terminator ahead of Terminator 2: Judgment Day is recommended. But in terms of action, Terminator 2: Judgment Day is by far the best entry to the franchise. By comparison, The Terminator has more horror elements, while T2 is often considered to be one of the greatest action movies of all time.
