When it comes to action-packed franchises, Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible and Keanu Reeves’ John Wick are two names that dominate Hollywood. While both stars have built legions of devoted fans, the box office numbers tell an intriguing story. Let’s break down how these iconic franchises stack up against each other.
The Mission: Impossible Franchise:
Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible is one of the highest-grossing action series ever. Based on the 1966 TV series, the franchise follows Cruise’s character, Ethan Hunt, an agent for the Impossible Missions Force (IMF). Over the years, the franchise has expanded its fanbase worldwide, with notable performances by Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames.
The latest installment, Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One (2023), was overshadowed by the simultaneous release of Barbie and Oppenheimer. However, Tom Cruise is already hard at work on Mission: Impossible 8, a film making headlines for its reported $300 million budget.
Here’s a look at how each Mission: Impossible movie has performed globally:
- Mission: Impossible – Fallout – $791.65 million
- Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol – $694.71 million
- Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation – $682.71 million
- Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – $567.53 million
- Mission: Impossible 2 – $546.38 million
- Mission: Impossible – $457.69 million
- Mission: Impossible III – $398.47 million
The John Wick Franchise:
Keanu Reeves’ John Wick franchise may have arrived two decades after Mission: Impossible, but it has still carved out a unique space in the action genre. This neo-noir series follows John Wick, a retired hitman pulled back into the violent world he left behind.
The John Wick universe is expanding, with a highly anticipated spin-off, Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas, set for release next year.
The series reached a major milestone when John Wick: Chapter 4 propelled the franchise past $1 billion globally. Here’s a look at the earnings:
- John Wick: Chapter 4 – $440.18 million
- John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum – $328.34 million
- John Wick: Chapter 2 – $174.34 million
- John Wick – $86.08 million
Box Office Showdown: Cruise vs. Reeves
While both franchises have loyal followings, Mission: Impossible holds a commanding lead in terms of global revenue, thanks largely to its longer history and more numerous films. The Mission: Impossible series has grossed approximately $4.13 billion worldwide, whereas John Wick stands at $1.02 billion—a 304.9% difference.
With Mission: Impossible 8 slated for release in 2025 and no immediate updates on John Wick: Chapter 5, the box office race is firmly in Cruise’s favor. However, as the John Wick universe expands, Keanu Reeves could still pose a formidable challenge in the future.
Stay tuned for more updates from the world of action films!