What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedMission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Brad Bird · Film · 2011
If you loved Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, start with Mission: Impossible (Bruce Geller, 1966) — a series from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol across media.
You loved Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol because you enjoy watching disavowed operatives navigate high-stakes conspiracies while racing against the clock.
Start with the source
The source
Mission: Impossible
Bruce Geller · Series · 1966
Adaptation
Mission: Impossible
Film · 1996
Adaptation
Mission: Impossible II
John Woo · Film · 2000
Books on the same thread
The Apostle
Brad Thor · Book · 2009
Explores: Hostage Rescue, Counterterrorism, International Intrigue.
Much like the rogue mission in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, this story features a specialized operative performing dangerous, off-the-books work to resolve a volatile international crisis.
The Fourth Protocol
Frederick Forsyth · Book · 1984
Explores: espionage, political intrigue, Soviet Union.
This novel shares the global stakes found in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, focusing on an insidious plot that forces intelligence agents to operate outside traditional bureaucratic constraints.
Pursuit of Honor
Vince Flynn · Book · 2009
Shares a thread with Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol: Espionage Thriller.
Readers who enjoyed the intense, black-ops focus of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol will appreciate this look at a dedicated operative waging a relentless war against a modern enemy.
The Ipcress File
Len Deighton · Book · 1963
Explores: Brainwashing, Betrayal, Working Class Hero.
If the atmosphere of betrayal and deception in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol kept you hooked, you will find this classic cold war thriller equally compelling and suspenseful.
Series on the same thread
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
Series · 2002
Explores: Artificial Intelligence, Transhumanism, Cybernetics.
This series mirrors the high-tech espionage and specialized team dynamics of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, featuring elite agents who handle the most complex threats to national security.
24
Robert Cochran · Series · 2001
Shares 2 threads with Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol: Race Against Time, Espionage Thriller.
The ticking clock scenario that defined Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is the core of this series, which follows a lone operative fighting against corruption and global conspiracies.
Person of Interest
Jonathan Nolan · Series · 2011
Explores: Artificial Intelligence, Surveillance State, Moral Ambiguity.
Like the disavowed team in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, this show centers on a former CIA operative using his unique training to fight crime outside of official channels.
Prison Break
Paul T. Scheuring · Series · 2005
Explores: Brotherhood, Wrongful Conviction, Redemption.
The desperate, high-stakes conspiracy that leaves the team isolated in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is echoed here as a man fights to overcome a systemic political setup.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Rest Is Classified
Podcast
Explores: Cold War, Intelligence agencies, Covert operations.
Fans of the real-world espionage tactics seen in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol will appreciate these deep dives into the actual history and mechanics of covert intelligence operations.
Stugotz and Company
iHeartPodcasts · Podcast · 2026
Explores: absurdism, unfiltered opinion, camaraderie.
If Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol hit, Stugotz and Company shares the thread.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol the first film in the series?
No, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is not the first film. The franchise began with the 1996 Mission: Impossible movie, followed by Mission: Impossible II in 2000. These earlier films preceded the events where Ethan Hunt and his team are disavowed after the Kremlin explosion.
What is the plot of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol?
In Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Ethan Hunt and his team race to stop a terrorist named Hendricks from using stolen Russian nuclear launch codes. After an explosion destroys the Kremlin and implicates the IMF, the President disavows the team, leaving them to operate without official government aid.
Should I watch the 1966 Mission: Impossible TV show before Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol?
While Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is based on the franchise legacy starting with the 1966 Mission: Impossible television series, you do not need to watch the show to understand the plot. The film functions as a standalone mission involving the IMF team and the hunt for nuclear codes.
Does Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol follow the events of Mission: Impossible II?
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is a later entry in the film series that follows Mission: Impossible and Mission: Impossible II. While it continues the story of Ethan Hunt, the plot focuses on a specific new threat involving Russian nuclear launch codes and the disavowal of the IMF team.