Tom Cruise searching for young actor to play Ethan Hunt in next two Mission: Impossible films

Tom Cruise is searching for an actor to play a young Ethan Hunt in the next two 'Mission: Impossible' movies.

The Hollywood legend is said to be planning to explore the early life of his alter ego in the eighth and ninth films in the action series and a budding performer is wanted for the significant part.

An insider told The Sun newspaper's Bizarre column: "Tom is keen to give 'Mission: Impossible' a fresh take in the next two films and wants to explore a bit of Ethan's past.

"They're going to start looking for a young star to take on the role and they will appear a bit in the next film and then more in the ninth.

"It's very important to Tom that they get the right person. They are seeking a youngster who is completely fresh on the scene and will cause a real stir.

"It's a huge role but the hunt is on to see if they can find a young Tom Cruise.

"The scenes will show Ethan in his early life and explore the things that happened to him before he went on to start working as a spy. It is something they've not done before with 'Mission: Impossible' and so Tom thinks it could be a really interesting tangent for fans."

The next movie in the franchise - 'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning' - is due to be released in May 2025 and cast member Shea Whigham has stressed that the blockbuster won't disappoint because of Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie's commitment to the project.

The 55-year-old star, who will be reprising his role as US Intelligence agent Jasper Briggs, told MovieWeb: "I think it's going to be amazing. I really do, because of [Tom] and McQuarrie there ... I've got to be careful. I can't give away too much. I get in trouble. I've gotten in trouble already.

"I think one of the great things is just to be around these guys that love cinema. I mean, Tom, there's nothing phoney about him when he says how much he loves and he wants people to come to see movies.

"There’s a reason why they’re getting better. Each 'Mission' gets better."

Whigham isn’t the only 'Mission: Impossible' star to comment on 'The Final Reckoning', as Simon Pegg - who plays secret agent Benji Dunn - recently insisted the upcoming flick would be the "best one" in the franchise.

The 'Hot Fuzz' star told the ‘Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum’ podcast last month: "I have just finished shooting. I have one day left of pick-ups to do. I've seen it. It's bananas. It's absolutely bananas."

Pegg added that his co-star Cruise had worked on some huge stunts for the movie that will leave audiences speechless.

He said: "What he does in this one, it boggles the mind. I think this one is the best one ever. And I'm not just saying that because it's like, 'Oh, you've got to say that'. It is going to be great."