Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning has positioned itself as one of the biggest 2025 movies, with the action film reviving the summer box office the past two weeks alongside Lilo & Stitch. But was I expecting to see Glen Powell’s mom to accept the mission herself and be caught smiling for a photo with its behemoth star, Tom Cruise? No, I did not!
On Thursday afternoon Glen Powell took to his Instagram Stories to randomly share a photo of his momma, Cyndy Powell, standing next to Tom Cruise. I didn’t know I needed this, but it’s so sweet. Check it:
Powell simply captioned the cute photo with “Mission: Impossible: Final Reckoning, Mom Approved” with a check mark. I assume this means that his mom has finally seen the blockbuster, but did she get to do so with the man himself? No matter, this is such a cool flex for Glen Powell and his family!
Top Gun: Maverick cast. Because Powell’s family tags along with him on industry affairs much of the time, it definitely seems like Cyndy Powell and Cruise are very much acquainted and having a ball perhaps at a very special Final Reckoning screening. I think I see some theater chairs in the background of the shot.
Funny enough, Glen Powell was once asked about the idea of him replacing Tom Cruise in the Mission: Impossible movies, and the actor said his mom “would never let me do that” because doing all those stunts is such a “death trap.” He also called it the “worst gig in town,” but it looks like Mama Powell very much enjoys seeing Tom Cruise doing the job of playing Ethan Hunt, which he’s been doing for about 30 years now.
Tom Cruise and Glen Powell have clearly become close if Cruise is hanging out with his mom. It’s so cool to see something like this in the world of Hollywood where family members are rarely talked about or pictured. One fact I’ve loved to know is how Powell often gives his parents cameos in his big movies, like Twisters, and they’ve also gone viral before for showing up to red carpets with him with hilarious signs.
The two big actors also have similar approaches to movies, considering Powell recently shared that he feels like he has a responsibility to make movies for “fans of movies” and is trying to do so by “teaming up with great filmmakers” like Edgar Wright for The Running Man and filming an untitled movie with J.J. Abrams. Considering the latest update we heard about Top Gun 3, we can likely look forward to Powell and Cruise being up in the air again at some point. And after this photo, we hope Mama Powell stays involved, too!