‘I’ve got 20 years to catch up with him:’ Tom Cruise hopes to still be making ‘Mission: Impossible’ movies at Harrison Ford’s age

Tom Cruise may have turned a year older recently, but the actor’s career is far from slowing down.

Cruise, who turned 61 last week, has been a part of the entertainment industry since the 1980s and starred in over 40 projects. During a press conference for his latest film, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, in Sydney, Australia, Cruise revealed that he plans to be a part of the franchise for as long as possible.

For context, the seventh installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise follows Cruise’s character Ethan Hunt and his IMF team as they track down a new weapon that could destroy all humanity if placed in the wrong hands. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One also stars Rebecca Ferguson, Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Vanessa Kirby, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Shea Whigham, Cary Elwes, Rob Delaney, and many others.

In the interview, Cruise disclosed his goal is to continue creating Mission: Impossible films until he reaches Harrison Ford’s age. The 80-year-old recently released Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the franchise’s fifth and final installment. While praising Ford, Cruise said,

“Harrison Ford is a legend. I hope to be still going. I’ve got 20 years to catch up with him. I hope to keep making Mission: Impossible films until I’m his age.”

Also, in the interview, Cruise opened up about the importance of films and the entertainment industry. The Top Gun Maverick star disclosed that growing up, he enjoyed watching movies “on the big screen” because of the overall experience, which played a huge part in why he decided to pursue acting. He stated,

“I grew up seeing movies on the big screen. That’s how I make them, and I like that experience. It’s immersive, and to have that as a community and an industry, it’s important. I still go the movies.”

Although Cruise’s latest film, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, has yet to premiere in theaters, it has already received rave reviews from those that had the opportunity to watch it. The film earned 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. Some of the reviews regarding the film mentioned the amount of action that occurred in the film, how fun the movie was to watch, and the project’s ability to keep the audience’s attention from the many twists and turns that occurred in the film.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is set to make its theatrical debut on July 12.