In the upcoming film Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One Tom Cruise rides a motorcycle off a cliff, free-falling before he releases his parachute. It’s a death-defying spectacle and the unquestionable reinforcement of his action hero status.

Since the first Mission: Impossible in 1996, Cruise has become known for performing most of his own daring stunts – from hanging onto the outside of a plane mid-flight to running down the side of a skyscraper. But as the renowned action franchise edges towards a potential close and the fearless actor nears the age of 61, could Cruise be the last of his kind?

Actions films have traditionally been full of muscle, stunts and weapons. But is this era behind us?

His future departure raises a potential dilemma within the action industry: few new faces seem fit to take his place.

Several others are also entering the twilight years of their career: ’80s hard bodies Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone are 75 and 76, respectively. Die Hard’s Bruce Willis is 68 and was diagnosed with dementia in February following an earlier diagnosis of a condition that affects his ability to understand or express speech. John Wick’s Keanu Reeves is 58 and The Transporter’s Jason Statham is 55. They’ve become the face of some of the most successful action franchises, but could that era of Hollywood action men be behind us?

Action films have changed overtime, evolving from muscle-packed, testosterone-fuelled spectacles into more emotionally complex, stylised stories. And they continue to change, says Dr Janice Loreck, a lecturer in screen studies at The University of Melbourne, as today’s action heroes often being synonymous with superheroes like Marvel’s Iron Man or DC’s Batman.

“In the current environment, I think Marvel movies are the only films that have a decent chance of breaking new action stars,” Loreck says, noting actors such as Chris Pratt, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth and the late Chadwick Boseman, many of which often play comedic and boyish characters rather than the tough, steely roles of the past.

As major franchises churn out superheroes en masse, Loreck says the prominence of the leading action hero is diminishing.

“Consider The Terminator,” Loreck says. “[It’s] a film that’s totally centred on the actor, his appearance and the spectacle of him performing action stunts and sequences … In contrast, while a film like Guardians of the Galaxy does contain action heroes, they are part of an ensemble. So, the celebrity of the actor, and the construction of them as an action star, is less of a focus.”