After ‘Mission: Impossible,’ Tom Cruise in talks for new espionage spy thriller 'Doppelgänger'

Tom Cruise could be looking at a new spy thriller after closing a major chapter with ‘Mission: Impossible’. The actor, best known for playing Ethan Hunt in the long-running action franchise, is reportedly circling an original film titled ‘Doppelgänger’. The project has not been officially confirmed with Cruise yet, but the reported talks have drawn attention because it could mark his return to spy stories after ‘Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning’ in 2025.According to Jeff Sneider’s TheInSneider, Cruise is rumored to be meeting with writer Aneesh Chaganty about starring in ‘Doppelgänger’. The report says the deal is not final. Deadline earlier reported in June 2025 that Skydance had picked up the rights to the project.Cruise has played Ethan Hunt since Brian De Palma’s 1996 film ‘Mission: Impossible’. He returned for every sequel, with ‘Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning’ described as the latest and seemingly final installment in the franchise.The actor already has other work lined up. He is set to appear in ‘Digger’ later this year, though that project is not in the spy genre. ‘Doppelgänger’ comes from Chaganty and Dan Frey. Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Chaganty and Natalie Qasabian are producing the film.Deadline previously described the movie as having “two very meaty led roles for an actor and actress.” No casting has been officially 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 announced a release date for ‘Doppelgänger’.