Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning could be the last installment in the eight-film franchise, but the cast have opened up about the potential of a spin-off in the future.

Hayley Atwell, who plays the professional pick-pocket turned IMF recruit Grace, ruled out returning in the future as the franchise wouldn’t “exist” without Tom Cruise at the helm as IMF veteran Ethan Hunt.

Speaking about Mission: Impossible’s future, Atwell told GamesRadar+: “I don’t think this franchise exists without Tom. It’s his passion, it’s the first film that he produced. It’s his baby, he’s been doing it for 30 years.

“These films, he designs them and builds them based on what he wants to do next, there’s no one like him who can do the stunts that he’s doing. There’s no one who would want to even attempt to do what he’s doing, let alone get the insurance for it.”

She added: “I think this film celebrates all the Missions that have gone before it, and it’s the accumulation of all of his passion and his dedication for this franchise.”

However, Simon Pegg who has played Benji Dunn since 2006 in Mission Impossible III, was open to the idea of returning to this character, which he has crafted and refined over the course of six films.

When asked about whether he’d return for a spin-off, Pegg said: “Do you mean ‘Dunn and Dusted?’ Yeah, of course. I mean, it’d be amazing.”

His co-star Pom Klementieff, who reprises the role as deadly French assassin Paris in the film, echoed his enthusiasm: “I love my character, so of course, I would love to explore more of this character.”

Pegg even suggested that every member of the close-knit IMF team had the scope to front their own movie, which could dive into their backstory before their paths crossed with agent Hunt.

He continued: “I think you could get a movie out of all of those characters – imagine a Paris movie or a Degas one. These guys are just primed to go forward and make multiple Mission: Impossible spin-offs.”

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning will be in cinemas from the 21st of May in the UK and May 23 in the US.

In the meantime, see our guide to watching the Mission: Impossible movies in order for a movie marathon, or our guide to all the upcoming movies of the year to plan your watchlist.