When it comes to high-octane franchises, Fast & Furious and Mission: Impossible are like the NOS and nitroglycerin of Hollywood, both explosive, both iconic. While one’s about family and fast cars, the other’s about masks and mid-air stunts. Vin Diesel’s “ride or die” crew has been burning rubber for over two decades, while Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt has been running, jumping, and clinging to planes like it’s a cardio competition.

But when it comes to the box office finish line, Fast & Furious hits the NOS a little harder. Despite Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One pulling off some wild stunts (and Cruise literally riding off cliffs), it just didn’t boost the franchise past Dom Toretto’s $7 billion juggernaut. Ethan may be saving the world with style, but Dom’s doing it with family, and apparently, a whole lot more ticket sales. Sorry, IMF but this box office race has a clear winner, and he drives a muscle car.

Before Mission: Impossible could even rev its engines close, Fast & Furious had already drifted past the $7 billion finish line, and it didn’t even break a sweat, as per Box Office Mojo. Universal’s high-octane franchise locked in its global domination long ago, joining the elite $7B club with just 11 films under its belt. That’s fewer pit stops than the Wizarding World needed for the same number, and with way more explosions per minute.

Starting way back in 2001 with street races and stolen DVDs, the Fast Saga evolved into a global juggernaut powered by family, physics-defying stunts, and an ever-growing squad of A-listers. The result? $1.94 billion in domestic grosses and a whopping $5.08 billion from international fans who apparently love watching cars parachute out of planes just as much as we do.

This franchise didn’t inch its way to success, it floored it. From the Brazil heist in Fast Five to the submarine showdowns and even the infamous car-in-space moment, the series knows its audience and unapologetically delivers every time. Even the spin-off Hobbs & Shaw added nearly $800M to the total haul, proving that side quests can pay off big time.

Meanwhile, Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible franchise, for all its running, leaping, and dangling-off-airplane glory, still hasn’t managed to cross the same mark, even with more critical love and longer history. The numbers speak: Fast & Furious is comfortably parked in the $7B club while Ethan Hunt is still chasing it with every explosive mission.

With Fast X already factored into the franchise’s stats and Universal hitting record domestic numbers with it, there’s no doubt Dom and the crew have left their cinematic rivals staring at their taillights. In the great action franchise race, Fast & Furious didn’t just win, it lapped the competition.

Tom Cruise might outrun explosions, scale buildings, and cling to planes mid-air, but at the box office, even Ethan Hunt can’t outdrive Dom Toretto and his ride-or-die crew.

The Mission: Impossible franchise has pulled in a solid $4.35 billion worldwide from eight movies, via Box Office Mojo. Not bad, right? But compared to the Fast & Furious fam’s monstrous $7 billion haul over 11 flicks, it’s like bringing a Vespa to a street race. The numbers don’t lie, and the gap is wide.

Sure, Fallout hit $824 million and gave us peak Cruise chaos. But Furious 7 went full throttle to $1.52 billion. Even Ghost Protocol and Rogue Nation, fan favorites of the MI series, couldn’t drift close to Dom’s nitro-fueled legacy. While MI leans on spy gadgets and serious faces, F&F brings flying cars, family barbecues, and a whole lotta global love.

The Dead Reckoning Part One cost nearly $300 million but made just over $570 million, which sounds cool until you realize it barely covered the fuel bill. Meanwhile, Fast X, even with mixed reviews, still roared past $700 million like it was a casual Sunday drive.

So, what’s holding MI back? Maybe the release gaps. Maybe too much Cruise, not enough crew. Meanwhile, F&F keeps the engines hot with spin-offs, wild plots, and a cast that feels like a global block party.

Bottom line- Cruise may save the world on screen, but Dom and the gang are running laps around him at the box office. And unless Ethan Hunt finds a way to jump a submarine while holding a Corona, he might just keep playing catch-up.

Tom Cruise went all in for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. A $400 million budget, a Cannes red carpet stop, a global press tour that could rival Ethan Hunt’s travel miles, and even a heartfelt thank-you note to fans. But despite all the buzz, stunts, and Cruise charm, this final chapter still couldn’t catch up to the Fast & Furious juggernaut.

Yes, The Final Reckoning scored a franchise-best opening weekend with $77 million over the four-day stretch, just barely outrunning Fallout’s $61 million. That’s a solid take until you realize Dom Toretto and crew sneeze out those numbers in a warm-up lap. Even with record hype, Cruise’s finale stalled at $222 million globally, a major bump in the road when compared to Fast X’s roaring $700M+ cruise around the world, via Box Office Mojo.

The problem? It’s not that fans don’t love Ethan Hunt, they do. But shelling out $400 million on a movie that doesn’t explode past the finish line? That’s tough math, even for IMF. It’s proof that jaw-dropping stunts and emotional farewell tours don’t always translate into box office gold.

So, while Cruise gets props for heart, hustle, and helicopter dives, the Fast & Furious crew still holds the crown. Because in the race of box office billions, it’s not about who runs up buildings, it’s about who drifts across the finish line with a full tank and global fans chanting “Family!”