Glen Powell addressed rumors that he would be taking over Tom Cruise’s role in the “Mission Impossible” franchise.
During the Tuesday broadcast of “The Pat McAfee Show,” the ESPN analyst FaceTimed the 36-year-old actor to ask him about reports claiming that Cruise wants him to take over as the lead in the film series.
“We just want to call and say congratulations, brother,” McAfee told Powell.
“My mom would never let me do that,” the “Anyone But You” star replied.
“That’s the worst gig in town, everybody knows that.,” Powell added. “That’s a death trap!”
After responding to McAfee, Powell began laughing, prompting the host to exclaim, “He’s lying!”
Powell shares a close relationship with his mother and father, Cyndy Powell and Glen Powell Sr., who have made cameos in all of their son’s movies.
Cruise, 62, is known for performing his own stunts in the action-packed franchise, and “Mission Impossible” director Christopher McQuarrie has previously said that the actor has “no limits” when it comes to the dangerous feats he attempts to accomplish.
Some of the jaw-dropping stunts performed by Cruise include hanging onto the outside of an airplane as it takes flight, free-falling from a helicopter, climbing the world’s tallest building and riding a motorcycle off a cliff before base-jumping into a ravine.
The franchise’s eighth installment, “Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning,” is set to premiere on May 23, 2025. While a future installment has yet to be announced, Cruise has given no indication that he plans to retire from the role of IMF spy Ethan Hunt.
In a July 2023 interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Cruise told the outlet that he hopes to emulate Harrison Ford, who gave his fifth and final performance in the “Indiana Jones” franchise when he was 80.
“Harrison Ford is a legend, I hope to be still going, I’ve got 20 years to catch up with him,” Cruise told the outlet. “I hope to keep making Mission: Impossible films until I’m his age.”
Powell and Cruise co-starred in the 2022 mega-hit “Top Gun: Maverick.” Powell previously told the Hollywood Reporter that Cruise became his mentor while they were working together on the blockbuster sequel.
In July 2023, Cruise attended the premiere of Powell’s disaster action thriller “Twisters.” The “Edge of Tomorrow” star posted an Instagram photo of himself with Powell on the red carpet, writing, “Fun night with friends, watching a movie!!”