‘Mission: Impossible — Fallout’ Ending Is Refreshing For One Big Reason

In a refreshing change of pace, when the credits roll on Mission: Impossible – Fallout, the sixth installment in the Tom Cruise-led franchise, the words on the screen aren’t just a set-up for clues and teases about a sequel. With this movie, the credits signal that the movie is truly over, which means that you can make a beeline for the exit or the bathroom, depending on if you decided to splurge and get a nine-dollar soda. Here’s why that’s really great news, besides the obvious stuff about your bladder.

(No spoilers ahead!)

Since the moment Nick Fury snuck into Tony Stark’s apartment to talk to him about ‘The Avengers Initiative” at the end of 2008’s Iron Man, post-credits teases have become a standard part of the blockbuster experience. But it doesn’t happen with the new Mission: Impossible, which is a relief. Of course, because Fallout is the sixth installment in the Mission Impossible franchise, it’s reasonable to assume that this is not the last we’ve seen of the franchise. We won’t spoil the ending of Fallout but we can safely say that the ending does not reference a possible sequel in any real way, besides the fact that Hunt and his squad are still alive and presumably will keep saving the world whenever they are called upon by the U.S. government.

Though Fallout certainly exists as a part of the larger MI story, it also tells its own self-contained story that doesn’t solely exist as filler for the larger narrative of the franchise. This is a stark contrast from many other blockbusters, where entire movies will exist solely to establish exposition for a future, seemingly more important movie.

But the ending of Mission: Impossible — Fallout is different because it posits itself as the important movie. You’re not going to reflect a ton on what you just saw — other than to say the word “awesome” a few times — but it’s nice not be hit with a barrage of clues for something that may or may not end up happening.

Despite the epicness of Avengers: Infinity War — which finally brought nearly everyone from the Marvel Cinematic Universe together onscreen — the final product really turned out to be a lead-up for the next few Marvel movies due out next year. In other words, all anyone was talking about after Infinity War was the ending and the post-credits scene. Ditto, to a lesser extent, with Ant-Man and the Wasp. But, with Fallout, you’ll be talking about what happened in the movie, and not worrying too much about a sequel, even though it will almost certainly happen.

-Mission: Impossible — Fallout is out in wide release July 27.-