Brad Pitt has slammed rumours he's set to replace Tom Cruise in the struggling Mission: Impossible franchise.

Cruise, who has played agent Ethan Hunt in the action movies, was axed by Paramount Studios last month following Mission: Impossible III's poor box office takings and his "unacceptable conduct" off screen.

Fight Club star Pitt was hailed as a potential saviour for the fourth installment, but his rep scoffs at the suggestion.

The spokesperson tells the New York Daily News, "It's totally made up."