'Mission: Impossible' Sequels Bringing Back Vanessa Kirby

The next two Mission: Impossible sequels continue to bring back familiar friends and foes. Vanessa Kirby, who gave a brief but memorable turn as Alanna Mitsopolis, aka the White Widow, in Mission: Impossible – Fallout, is returning for the next two films as well. Christopher McQuarrie is directing Mission: Impossible 7 and 8 back-to-back, furthering the dangerous adventures of Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt.

While we still don't know much about the next two Mission: Impossible sequels, we do know the cast for the collective movies is pretty stacked. Speaking with Glamour Magazine UK, Vanessa Kirby confirmed she's coming back as the White Widow, an arms dealer who helped out Ethan Hunt and the gang in Mission: Impossible – Fallout.

Kirby is just the latest returning cast member to be revealed. In addition to the always-present Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, and Henry Czerny (who hasn't appeared in the franchise since the first movie) are all back. Meanwhile, Jeremy Renner sits patiently by the phone. As for new cast members, they include Hayley Atwell, Shea Whighman, Nicholas Hoult, and Pom Klementieff.

I'm a ride or die Mission: Impossible fan (I feel about this franchise the way most people seem to feel about the Fast and Furious films), so I'm already in the tank for whatever Christopher McQuarrie is cooking up here. I love almost the entire franchise (even Mission: Impossible II has its moments), but the series has only gotten better (and more thrilling) with age. Kirby's role in Fallout wasn't huge, but it made an impact. And her work on The Crown proved she's ready for breakout stardom (something that didn't quite happen with her supporting turn in Hobbs and Shaw, sadly).

As for what the next two movies are about, well, that's anyone's guess. It's safe to assume that the films will involve Tom Cruise risking his life over and over again for our entertainment. And hopefully, Rebecca Ferguson will kill a few people with her legs, or so I can hope. That's not a lot to ask for, is it? No, it isn't,

"I pitched the idea of making two movies, and now I have to justify why it's two movies," McQuarrie told Empire, adding: "You've got to earn that. You've got to make something that swallows the last three movies whole. I'm freaked out now. We've talked ourselves into something. Holy shit."

Mission: Impossible 7 arrives July 23, 2021, and Mission: Impossible 8 on August 5, 2022.