"Mission: Impossible 6" is on the way, and the film has just finalized its official cast. Tom Cruise will be back as lead character Ethan Hunt, but this time, he is going on a mission without his right-hand-man William Brandt, played Jeremy Renner.
Renner played William Brandt in the last two "Mission: Impossible" movies, how it has been confirmed that Renner won't be back for the sixth "Mission: Impossible" film. There's a fair reason to, however. Renner couldn't do "Mission: Impossible 6" due to his commitments to Marvel.
According to Collider, Renner is joining the entire Marvel roster in "Avengers: Infinity War," which is also filming back-to-back with "Avengers 4." Both films are expected to involve Renner's character, Hawkeye, as he has been an integral part of the franchise since the first "Avengers" movie.
On a brighter note, Renner isn't saying goodbye to the "Mission: Impossible" franchise. It's likely he'll return in future movies, especially since he reportedly signed up to do one more movie. Fans would also love to see him return, considering Renner's William and Tom's Ethan have such a great dynamic in the spy films.
In a previous interview, Renner also said that he would love to work with the "Mission: Impossible" gang again. "Avengers is going to eat up a lot of next year, I certainly hope it doesn't ultimately get in the way of Tom and I and the gang getting back together for that because I'd love to," Renner told Collider in 2016.
"Man of Steel" star Henry Cavill is joining "Mission: Impossible 6." He is expected to take Renner's place Cruise's second-in-command. According to Variety (via IGN), Cavill's character could be a right hand to Ethan's special unit.
He will be doing a lot of intense stunts and action sequences, too, as director Christopher McQuarrie has informed Cavill that he "must enjoy extreme heights, high speeds, motor vehicles of all varieties (especially aircraft), practical stunts, firearms, and sporadic exposition" to fit the mold.
In the meantime, Renner is filming "Avengers: Infinity War" in Scotland together with co-stars Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen and Karen Gillan.
"Mission: Impossible 6" has a release date of July 27, 2018.