Out of Bourne, McClain, Hunt, Ryan...which character...

[Jello Biafra]

I really don't see all the Mission Impossible mentions. Yeah, maybe the concept of the franchise has more longevity to it but as a character McClane is far more timeless than Hunt, a pretty bland character that's been carried by Cruise's star power since day one. There are no complexities to the character outside of the wife they don't even pretend he has anymore.

John McClane is Bruce Willis...of all the characters mentioned McClane is the one that is most identified by the actor who played him and Die Hard as a movie franchise is all Bruce Willis too. I don't think it is as easily transferrable as any of the other movies or characters mentioned.
And I wouldn't call Ethan Hunt bland but he is a less defined character which I think would open him up to other interpretations much easier than the other characters plus the whole concept of the Mission Impossible move franchise would be easier to just transfer to another actor.

 

[MikelArteta]

none really, ethan hunt can be replaced and its meh

007 is james bond i mean the last bond grossed over a bill and so will the new one

 

[Big Blue]

Die Hard dies with Bruce Willis. Period.

 

[TheGodling]

John McClane is Bruce Willis...of all the characters mentioned McClane is the one that is most identified by the actor who played him and Die Hard as a movie franchise is all Bruce Willis too. I don't think it is as easily transferrable as any of the other movies or characters mentioned.
And I wouldn't call Ethan Hunt bland but he is a less defined character which I think would open him up to other interpretations much easier than the other characters plus the whole concept of the Mission Impossible move franchise would be easier to just transfer to another actor.

See, I disagree about that. There are actors who could play McClane but it points to the strength of the character that it'd be a lot harder to pull off. When your character is so generic everyone can do it, it means it's not the character people check in for.

 

[Real]

Die Hard dies with Bruce Willis. Period.

Hell, Die Hard died with Bruce. shyt ain't been good since 95...


20 years of trash since Vengeance

 

[Numero Deux]

I can see MI lasting quite a while, even if Hunt gets recasted. I think the character is the most open to the reinterpretation and reinvention akin to James Bond.

If worst comes to worst, the studio will just hit the reboot button.

 

[Sonny Corinthos]

MI is gonna be like the Fast and Furious franchise honestly.

Nobody can tell me with a straight face they would pay to watch a die hard movie WITHOUT Bruce Willis

They tried to test out life after Bruce with the last one, there are no action actors these days that have the ability to seriously play that character honestly.

Jason Bourne can def be that Bond type character , just need more consistent movies.

 

[MartyMcFly]

I think the other problem with trying to make one of these like Bond is the consistency of releases: The last jason bourne movie was almost 10 years ago. Bond started out every year then every two years and only recently with skyfall and spectre has it been longer, save for the 89-95 period which dealt with finance issues with MGM, same reason for the long gap between quantum of solace and skyfall. You've got to be able to crank these things out

 

[StraxStrax]

It just amazes me that the James Bond character has lived on for this many years and is now more popular than ever. Though part of it is they stuck with it even in the down times.

That not really true. Thunderball and Goldfinger are number 2 and 3 at the box office (after Skyfall)

 

[IllustratorMike]

MI is gonna be like the Fast and Furious franchise honestly.

Nobody can tell me with a straight face they would pay to watch a die hard movie WITHOUT Bruce Willis

Yeah. The amount of fukkery in that last Fast movie was
As I watched this, I kept asking myself when did these car thieves get trained by the IMF? Between this and MI you couldn't tell them apart with all of the OTT action.

It can be argued with DieHard that the chances the same NY cop would find himself in such precarious scenarios in each outing but replacing someone like Willis is almost as unheard of as finding a successor to Peter Falk as Columbo.
Some actors are just identified with certain roles more than others.

 

[Sensitive Blake Griffin]

Wrong thread

 

[Jax]

Jason Bourne
Bourne stannery will never die

 

[Ain't That Something]

M.I is a brand that can continue with or without Ethan Hunt as the M.C. thereby giving it more longevity. And realistically they could even do a passing of the baton movie where Hunt trains a new up and comer and have him carry the franchise and so on. The fact that the M.I. brand sells itself with or without Hunt is actually a good thing.

 

[Optimus Prime]

after Damon is done with it, Bourne might be better as a gritty spy TV show

 

[wire28]

I've been going back and forth. I think the Bourne series. It isn't as big as MI but I think the story lends more to there being a long series (even though MI is apparently going for number 6 soon).

Once tom is done the MI series is probably done with him. I don't think the Renner movie was as bad as it's made out to be. A little boring in some areas but still overall enjoyable.