The IMF is shut down when it's implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization's name.

The film was originally announced with a working name of Mission: Impossible 4, and codenamed "Aries" during early production.^[11]Rumors initially mentioned that the film might not even carry the Mission: Impossible name, though this was later discounted.^[12]

Principal photography began by September 30, 2010. Pictures of the set were leaked to the internet showing Cruise in a Russian officer disguise.^[13] Filming took place in Dubai, Prague, Moscow, Mumbai, and Vancouver.^[2][14][15] The film was partially shot with IMAXcameras.^[16] The first full, official trailer was released on June 29, 2011, and attached to Transformers: Dark of the Moon. ^[17]

When a terrorist bombing destroys the Kremlin, the United States government initiates a black ops "ghost protocol" and disavows the entire Impossible Mission Force. Ethan Hunt and his team are to be blamed for the attack, but are allowed to escape as part of a plan to enable them to operate in the dark, outside of their agency. However, Hunt is warned that if any member of his team is captured during their mission, they will be charged as terrorists planning to incite global nuclear war. Ethan is then forced to work with fellow ex-IMF agent Brandt, who knows more about Hunt and his past than even Hunt himself.