Tom Cruise may be embarking on a new spy thriller after closing a major chapter with the 'Mission: Impossible' franchise. The actor, renowned for his portrayal of Ethan Hunt in the long-running action series, is reportedly circling an original film titled 'Doppelgänger'. While the project has not been officially confirmed with Cruise, the reported discussions have garnered attention as it could signify his return to spy stories following 'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning', slated for release in 2025.
Tom Cruise's Spy Movie Talks with Aneesh Chaganty
According to Jeff Sneider's TheInSneider, Cruise is rumored to be meeting with writer Aneesh Chaganty about starring in 'Doppelgänger'. The report indicates that the deal is not yet finalized. Earlier, in June 2025, Deadline reported that Skydance had acquired the rights to the project. Cruise has been portraying Ethan Hunt since Brian De Palma's 1996 film 'Mission: Impossible'. He has returned for every sequel, with 'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning' being described as the latest and seemingly final installment in the franchise.
The actor already has other projects lined up. He is set to appear in 'Digger' later this year, though that film does not fall under the spy genre. 'Doppelgänger' originates from Chaganty and Dan Frey. The producing team includes Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Chaganty, and Natalie Qasabian.
'Doppelgänger' Plot and Cruise's Reported Role
Deadline previously described the movie as having 'two very meaty led roles for an actor and actress.' No official casting has been announced so far. Sneider reported that Chaganty has been working closely around Cruise's interest in the project. 'I'm told that Chaganty has flown to Florida multiple times to meet with Cruise, and he is currently rewriting Doppelgänger to tailor the script to the actor's specifications. Naturally, Cruise will only decide whether to officially commit once the final script is delivered. But for now, he is considered loosely attached, according to multiple sources.'
If the film moves forward with Cruise, he would reportedly play Veer, a CIA agent whose life changes when he learns that Russia has recruited a man who looks exactly like him. The plan is to use the lookalike as a mole. The story grows more complicated when it appears there could be more than one Veer doppelgänger. Skydance has not yet announced a release date for 'Doppelgänger'.
