Jeremy Renner’s involvement in the “Mission: Impossible” series has been a topic of much discussion, especially after his appearances in “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” (2011) and “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” (2015). Recently, Renner shared some intriguing details about his potential return to the franchise during an interview on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast.
Renner revealed that he was approached to reprise his role as IMF agent William Brandt in the 2018 sequel “Mission: Impossible – Fallout.” However, the offer came with a catch: his character was to be killed off after just one week of shooting. Renner was not pleased with this proposal and flatly refused.
“I remember they tried to bring me over for a week just to kill my character,” Renner recounted. “I was like, ‘No, you don’t get to do that. You’re not going to drag me over there and just kill my character. If you’re going to use my character, you’re going to do it right.'”
Renner’s refusal was firm, and he even confronted director Christopher McQuarrie about it. “I yelled at Chris,” Renner said with a laugh. “Dude, you’re not going to do this to me like that; you’re not going to do me wrong.”
Since “Rogue Nation,” Renner has not returned to the “Mission: Impossible” series. However, he recently expressed to Collider that he remains open to the idea of coming back. “I was supposed to do more with them,” Renner said. “I love those guys. I love Tom so much. We had so much fun, and I love that character a lot. It requires a lot of time away. It’s all in London. I had to go be a dad. It just wasn’t gonna work out then. Maybe now that my daughter is older, that could happen. I’d always jump into a ‘Mission: Impossible’ anytime and back into Brandt. It’s great.”
Rumors had circulated that Renner was being groomed to take over the franchise from Tom Cruise. However, Renner dismissed these claims during the podcast. “No, it was always Tom’s show. That would be a Tom decision if he ever wanted to change that narrative,” Renner clarified. “And as he’s maturing as an actor, he kinda wants to hold on. He’s doing ‘Top Gun’ again, right? He’s rebooting that, and let’s lean into the things in his life that he’s comfortable with now. The guy’s a beast and works harder than anyone I know.”
Renner’s decision to prioritize his family over the demanding schedule of a “Mission: Impossible” film is understandable. The actor shares custody of his daughter with his ex-wife, which makes long overseas shoots challenging. “The way those movies are filmed is that there are these giant set pieces, and they start to write the film around these set pieces,” Renner explained. “Tom will be working on this stunt for a long time, and they’ll build a story around these set pieces, so there’s no schedule. I can’t go out for a year and a half; I gotta go be a dad. So I was landlocked out here; I couldn’t film overseas anymore.”
Renner added that if he were single, he might still be doing those films. “Maybe when my daughter is older, there’s more of an opportunity to do something,” he said, hinting that a return might be possible in the future.
Despite the challenges, Renner’s affection for the “Mission: Impossible” team and his character remains strong. “I love those guys. I love Tom so much. We had so much fun, and I love that character a lot,” he reiterated.
As for Tom Cruise, Renner had nothing but praise. “No, it was always Tom’s show. That would be a Tom decision if he ever wanted to change that narrative,” Renner said. “And as he’s maturing as an actor, he kinda wants to hold on. He’s doing ‘Top Gun’ again, right? He’s rebooting that, and let’s lean into the things in his life that he’s comfortable with now. The guy’s a beast and works harder than anyone I know.”
While Renner’s return to the “Mission: Impossible” franchise remains uncertain, his commitment to his family and his respect for the series and its team are clear. For now, fans can catch him in the Taylor Sheridan crime series “Mayor of Kingstown,” which recently premiered on Paramount+. As for “Mission: Impossible 8,” it is slated for release in the summer of 2025.
