'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol' Saved Tom Cruise's Franchise

The mission for Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, which it ultimately accepted, was to prove that there was still life in the Mission: Impossiblefranchise. While Mission: Impossible 2 was financially successful, critics' reviews were mixed, and while Mission: Impossible III improved on its predecessor's reception, the film underperformed at the box office. All signs pointed to the franchise ending after that third installment, but Tom Cruise has proven time and time again that he's resilient. The third film came up short, largely because Cruise's behavior and personal beliefs began making headlines, and it dulled his potent box office potential. That wouldn't put the actor down for the count, and what he proved with Ghost Protocol was that he and the franchise were still very viable. Its success also single-handedly saved the franchise and set it on a path of greatness.