Barbie and Oppenheimer released on the same day and exactly a week after Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part I. The Tom Cruise spy thriller is one of the most expected movies of 2023, and it’s a real contender for both movies. Naturally, it’s hard not to see this double featuring as an attempt to gain some steam against a more attractive movie with a real lead actor. 

Margot Robbie had some good hits but never had a lead actress, and the rare times when she was the only name on the movie poster, the projects fell into oblivion like I, Tonya, for instance. On the other hand, Oppenheimer rests entirely on the reputation of Christopher Nolan as a genius director, a fleeting image after the Tenet debacle. Both movies are also new IPs, whereas Mission Impossible is a known franchise originating from an iconic show of the 60s with the star power of Tom Cruise. So, it’s understandable that both production companies look for ways to counter this behemoth, and the double feature looks like the solution.