'Mission: Impossible 6' Won't Bring Back Jeremy Renner Due To Marvel Commitments [Updated]
UPDATE: Though Marvel commitments are indeed keeping Jeremy Renner out of Mission: Impossible 6, director Peyton Reed has indicated on Twitter that Ant-Man and The Wasp will not be one of his obligations. Our original story from March 30 follows below.
Even though Mission: Impossible 6 will feature Tom Cruise tackling a stunt that tops anything else he's done in the franchise before, he'll have to pull it off without one of this newer teammates helping him out.
Jeremy Renner has co-starred in both Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation as a member of Ethan Hunt's Impossible Mission Force. However, word on the street is that Jeremy Renner will not return for Mission: Impossible 6 due to his commitments at Marvel Studios, which may include more than just Avengers: Infinity War.
Word of Jeremy Renner not in Mission Impossible 6 comes from Showbiz 411, who is somewhat reliable when it comes to scoops like this. What makes this news even more interesting is that in addition to his obligation to play Hawkeye in the massive superhero roster for Avengers: Infinity War, the report says he'll also have some kind of role in Ant-Man and The Wasp.
If that's true, it's just another instance of Marvel Studios maximizing their crossover potential in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After all, Falcon appeared in the first Ant-Man, Tony Stark has a key role in Spider-Man: Homecoming and Doctor Strange will help the god of thunder in Thor: Ragnarok, so outside of Avengers movies we're still getting plenty of superhero interaction. However, it's important to note that rumors of Hawkeye being part of Ant-Man and The Wasp have been around for a little while, so just be cautiously optimistic about that happening for the time being.
Whether Renner appearing in Ant-Man and The Wasp is true or not, I wouldn't be surprised if the actor was done with the franchise anyway. When he joined the Mission: Impossible cast the first time, there were rumblings that he would inherit it from Tom Cruise, who was proving to not be as much of a box office draw as he used to be. But audiences haven't stopped flocking to Mission: Impossible movies, so a changing of the guard never took place. Therefore I wouldn't be surprised if Renner just decided to go tackle other projects.
More than likely the absence of Jeremy Renner is the reason that Man of Steel star Henry Cavill was cast in the movie. Presumably he'll be part of Ethan Hunt's team this time around. Or maybe he'll turn out to be a villain. Anything is possible really.
Speaking of villains, for the first time ever, a villain from one of the previous movies will return. Sean Harris will be back as Rogue Nation villain Solomon Lane, though since he was apprehended at the end of the last movie, we're not sure if he'll be the lead-in to whatever villain the IMF has to deal with this time or if he'll escape and create more trouble for the secret organization.
In addition, returning cast members for Mission: Impossible 6 include Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa Faust, Ving Rhames and Luther Stickell, Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn and Alec Baldwin as Alan Hunley. They'll be joined by franchise newcomer Vanessa Kirby from The Crown in the sequel slated to shoot in New Zealand, Paris, India and London this year, with at least part of the film shot in IMAX 3D.
Christopher McQuarrie is back directing Mission: Impossible 6, which will hit theaters next summer on July 27, 2018.