Gladiator IIis already one of the most anticipated movies of the year, and its upcoming release is even more exciting now thanks to Tom Cruise andMission: Impossible 8. The Ridley Scott sequel is two decades in the making, shifting the franchise’s focus from Maximus to his son Lucius, with Paul Mescal stepping into the lead role.Gladiator 2’s castis star-studded with Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, and others set to appear, and their involvement mixed with Scott’s direction of the action epic has left many counting down the days until its release on July 20, 2025.
As one of the last major tentpole releases of the year,Gladiator 2is positioned to be a major theatrical event for Paramount. It’s the studio’s last significant release of the year, outside ofSonic the Hedgehog 3, and nothing that came before or after will be as big. The interest in seeingGladiator 2on the big screen is high enough that there is not much else that can happen that can make the film’s impending arrival any sweeter. However, that now appears to have happened thanks to Tom Cruise and Paramount’s plan to begin marketingMission: Impossible 8.
Mission: Impossible 8’s First Trailer Is Likely Debuting With Gladiator 2’s Release
Simon Pegg Teased Its Release With A Major New Release
Paramount has not officially confirmed that plans for thefirstMission: Impossible 8trailer drop, but Simon Pegg has suggested that it will be paired withGladiator II’s release. During an Instagram live Q&A, he talked briefly about the film’s upcoming marketing campaign. Without confirming exactly what he knows, he said the trailer should be coming"quite soon"and that itis “probably attached to a large release coming up.“Pegg didn’t dive into any other specifics, butGladiator 2is the clear title he’s alluding to based on the context.
Mission: Impossible 8is a Paramount release just asGladiator 2is, and it is common practice in Hollywood for studios to release trailers for their next major tentpoles alongside other major new releases. Paramount is likely to be doing that withMission: Impossible 8’s trailer release. If that is the case, thenthe first teaser and title reveal should come beforeGladiator 2’s releaseright before Thanksgiving. As two of the studio’s biggest action franchises, it makes sense to tie the two films together with a coordinated trailer and theatrical release plan.
Gladiator 2 Will Be The First Chance To See Mission: Impossible 8’s Trailer On The Big Screen
The Trailer Can Be Seen As Mission: Impossible Movies Are Meant To Be
Although theMission: Impossible 8trailer is sure to debut online ahead ofGladiator 2’s theatrical showtimes, the likelihood of the teaser playing in front of the film only adds to the excitement. Audiences can now expect to seeTom Cruise attempting new, dangerous stuntsright before returning to ancient Rome and watching Lucius' story unfold. Given how action heavyGladiator 2is expected to be, theadrenaline should already be pumping for audiences after watching theMission: Impossible 8trailer, which is likely to be the last one shown before the movie begins.
TheMission: Impossiblemovies are known for having great, thrilling trailersthat are even better on the big screen. The first trailer forMission: Impossible 8should be no exception, especially as Paramount attempts to rebuild interest afterMission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning’s box office underperformance. Tom Cruise’s sequel will want to dazzle audiences and makeMission: Impossible 8look like the theatrical event of 2025. Getting a glimpse of it on the big screen for the first time withGladiator 2can help accomplish that.
When Exactly Will The Mission: Impossible 8 Trailer Be Released?
The Trailer Should Arrive Online Before Gladiator 2’s Release
With Pegg’s tease that theMission: Impossible 8trailer is coming soon and surely beforeGladiator 2, that leaves Paramount with about a five-week window to share the footage.Predicting trailer release dates is always tricky, as studios can change plans at a whim, but the marketing campaign for possibly the finalMission: Impossiblemovie could follow the playbook Tom Cruise used before. For reference, the firstMission: Impossible - Dead Reckoningtrailer was released on July 19, 2025, and was in theaters a few days later on June 02, 2025, whenTop Gun: Maverickdebuted.
It’s possible then thatMission: Impossible 8’s trailer might be released on July 24, 2025, ahead ofGladiator II’s release on June 16, 2025. Paramount could move the timing up a bit if a longer gap is wanted, but it is unlikely that the window will be shortened or the trailer will debut in theaters exclusively first before being released online. In any case,Mission: Impossible 8is poised for a shorter marketing campaign than its predecessor, with the trailer seemingly coming six months before its theatrical release instead of over a year in advance.
