It’s hard to believe that it’s now been over 20 years since Tom Cruise first took up the role of secret agent Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible franchise. Back in 1996, the concept of franchises and sequels was hardly as expected or ingrained as it is today and as Mission: Impossible has changed with the times, so too has its cast. As a matter of fact, only Tom Cruise and Ving Rhames have the distinction of having appeared in all five Mission: Impossible films.
But as an ever-changing franchise (one that seems to insist upon always striving to outdo its predecessor), Mission: Impossible is also working to be build a new roster of long-term cast members. Simon Pegg has carved out a much-loved presence in the series as Cruise’s sidekick Benji, and Jeremy Renner has also been aboard the M:I train since his first appearance as agent Brandt in 2011’s Ghost Protocol. Now with pre-production gearing up for the sixth Mission: Impossible installment, fans are wondering exactly who will be returning.
Though it was previously something of a mystery as to whether or not Jeremy Renner would in fact be returning for Mission: Impossible 6, we now have confirmation via website Showbiz 411 that Renner will not star in Christopher McQuarrie’s upcoming follow up to Rogue Nation. Apparently citing scheduling conflicts as the key component for missing out on M:I6, there is no immediate word on whether this means that Renner is done with the franchise altogether.
Renner has recently become quite consumed with his work for Marvel and will reprise his role as Hawkeye in the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War as well as Avengers 4 - both of which will be filmed back-to-back. With at least 4 different shooting locations globally for M:I6, it’s understandable why this sort of schedule could potentially create problems for Renner. In terms of whether or not this means that Renner is done with the Mission: Impossible franchise, it’s far too early to deduce as much. With regards to M:I6, Renner has expressed interest in being in the film, even going as far as saying that he’d “love to” be part of the franchise once again. Unfortunately, scheduling conflicts are a part of an actor’s career and should likely not be taken as any sign that Renner is out for good.
At present we do know that Tom Cruise and Rebecca Ferguson (Rogue Nation’s Ilsa Faust) are confirmed to star in M:I6. To be completely honest however, Renner’s role in the franchise has never been a particularly essential one. This doesn’t mean that the character of Brandt doesn’t contribute to the franchise’s appeal, just that a Mission: Impossible film without Renner’s Brandt will hardly be as noticeably lacking as one without say, Simon Pegg’s Benji.
What’s more, though it’s not yet possible to judge how well Mission: Impossible 6 could fare at the box-office, if the film’s predecessors and Tom Cruise’s willingness to push the limits of stunt work are any indication, M:I6 is likely to be a hit. And if M:I6 is a hit, then there’s every reason to believe that there will be a Mission: Impossible 7. If and when this does happen, it’s probably best not to count out the return of Jeremy Renner as agent Brandt.
Source: Showbiz 411
