What happened to Maggie Q's Zhen Lei in the Mission: Impossible franchise remains a mystery, as she did not return for any sequels after Mission: Impossible III. The third installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise took a long time to come together, as it was not until JJ Abrams came aboard that the final entry in Tom Cruise's trilogy moved forward. Mission: Impossible 3 operated as a final chapter of sorts for Ethan Hunt and the trilogy. It brought back some known characters and introduced others who would go on to play major roles in the franchise once Mission: Impossible 4 helped revitalize the series once again.
Maggie Q's Zhen Lei is one of the new characters that Mission: Impossible 3 features. She plays an integral part in helping Ethan Hunt take down Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and rescue his wife, Julia (Michelle Monaghan). Zhen Lei works alongside Declan Gormley (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), and a returning Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames). Unlike many of the Mission: Impossible franchise's female characters, Lei was not a romantic interest for Ethan Hunt. She instead proved to be a valuable member of the IMF team, but her absence from the sequels left audiences in the dark about what happened to Maggie Q's Mission: Impossible character.
Why Maggie Q Didn’t Return For Mission: Impossible 4
There was at one point a plan to have Maggie Q return after Mission: Impossible 3, which would have helped explain what happened to Zhen Lei in the franchise. During the development of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Maggie Q was approached about returning. The actress confirmed during an interview with Yahoo that the franchise wanted her back, but she was unable to participate due to her schedule. At the time that Mission: Impossible 4 was being made, Maggie Q was busy starring in the hit CW action thriller Nikita. It is not confirmed how Zhen Lei would factor into the sequel, but she could have replaced Paula Patton's Jane.
Instead of revealing what happened to Maggie Q's Zhen Lei in Mission: Impossible 4, these plans were reconsidered when Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation was in development. The actress confirmed in the same Yahoo interview that her absence from the fourth installment did not keep her out of consideration for the sequel. Unfortunately, scheduling once again prevented Maggie Q's Mission: Impossible return for the fifth movie as she was starring in the CBS crime drama Stalker at the time. Mission: Impossible 5 writer/director Christopher McQuarrie has not revealed what role she would have played in the story.
Will Maggie Q Return As Zhen Lei In Mission: Impossible 7 or 8?
Maggie Q's Zhen Lei is currently not confirmed to return in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 or Part 2. The two-part franchise finale is bringing back several characters from past movies, including Kittridge (Henry Czerny). However, Maggie Q is not yet announced to be part of the Mission: Impossible 7 or 8 plan. The franchise's repeated interest in bringing her back could be a sign that it will finally happen before Tom Cruise's potential exit. She has also praised her experience working with Cruise in the past, so it would seem that Maggie Q could be willing to return for either Mission: Impossible sequel in any capacity.
