Simon Pegg, in his exclusive cover interview with Elizabeth Aubrey in Something About Rocks, has teased that the Mission: Impossible series may well continue.
The Final Reckoning, released last year, was frequently cited as the eighth and final film in the long-running franchise, but Pegg has left some hope for fans that the IMF isn’t done yet.
He told us: “I doubt very much it was the last one. It definitely was the end of that chapter of Ethan Hunt’s life…but it might be that Tom is sitting on his hands in a year or two and thinks, ‘Let’s do another one.’ So, with that in mind, it was kind of like, ‘It’s the end, for now.’”
Asked if he would be happy to return to the series, where he played Benji Dunn for 19 years, Pegg answered: “I’d want a script and a stop date.”
Pegg starred in six Mission: Impossible films across a near 20-year time span alongside Tom Cruise and a rotating ensemble that also included Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Jeremy Renner and Hayley Atwell.
The Hot Fuzz actor also reflected on being part of the series for so long – only Cruise and Rhames appeared in more instalments. He said: “When it came out, it felt kind of monumental. It was 20 years last year since I started and it never felt like the end because it went on for so long.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Pegg reflected on working with Tom Cruise. “It’s been really interesting just getting to see Tom work and to kind of understand his method,” he says, adding he’s still in awe of how much the actor dedicates to his craft.
“He’s someone who utterly gives his entire being to filmmaking. If you want to be Tom Cruise, you have to dedicate everything to it, and it’s amazing to watch. It’s not something I think I could do particularly, not to the degree he does…I just think there’s a certain amount of sacrifice that he’s done to be where he is. He doesn’t have it all. He has an incredible career and an amazing work ethic, but that’s at the expense of normality.”
Pegg also thanked the franchise for helping him get in shape, something that was a key turning point in his recovery from alcoholism, which he has discussed previously.
“I think one of the keys to staying on top of your mental health is being active and when I got sober, right before shooting 2011’s Ghost Protocol, I remember Tom saying to me, ‘You’re an agent now. Benji [his character] is an agent, so let’s get fit and let’s get in shape.’ And I was like, ‘Now I have a reason to do this.’”
Pegg went on to say he’s kept in shape, and remained clean, ever since. “I started to work out on set in Prague, and I really started to enjoy it. I worked it into my daily routine. If you have an addictive personality, the trick is to swap out whatever was not good for you for something good for you, because you’re not going to change that.”
At The Final Reckoning red carpet premiere in 2025, Pegg showed off his taste in vintage jewellery.
London jewellery store Piccadilly Vaults revealed that Pegg had worn many of their vintage pieces on the global press tour for the film, including an Victorian old-cut diamond star brooch, an enamel and diamond-cut brooch and pendant as well as a Cartier ‘Torte’ in 18ct yellow gold from the early 2000s.
One of the standout vintage pieces also came via what they describe as a “significant multi-gem and diamond umbrella brooch.”
At the London premiere of the action blockbuster, Pegg was spotted wearing jewellery from Giovanni Raspini, including some stand-out rings alongside more chic vintage jewellery chosen from Piccadilly Vaults.
Pegg wore a diamond floral stick pin in white gold, with an estimated diamond weight of 0.45cts alongside a diamond lizard stick pin in 18 karat yellow gold, which had an estimated total diamond weight of 1.05 carats.
He also teamed this up with an Art Deco diamond and onyx stick pin, estimated total diamond weight of 0.84 carats and a unique 1930s diamond and ruby bar brooch, estimated total diamond weight of 2.10 carats.
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