by Andy Gibbons

After loads of unconfirmed reports and rumours, Tom Cruise has now made it official – he is coming back as secret agent extraordinaire Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible IV!!

A post on Cruise’s website reads:

‘It’s official! Tom Cruise is returning in the role of Ethan Hunt for the upcoming Mission Impossible IV!!

Paramount Pictures confirmed Tom will not only be producing “M:I-4,” but reprising his iconic role for the latest chapter in the action movie franchise, according to a studio press release. Coming off the heels of the new summer action comedy, Knight and Day, Tom keeps ramping up adrenaline thrills for the fans!’

There has been some speculation that the poor performance of Knight and Day at the US box office will see Cruise’s character take on mentor role to a younger lead in M:I-4.