Let’s face it: Hollywood always has a trick or two up its sleeve. Imagine if Jeremy Renner had stepped into Tom Cruise’s well-worn shoes in the Mission: Impossible franchise. Would Ethan Hunt be more likely to call in the cavalry rather than perform death-defying stunts himself?
While we can debate ‘what-could-have-been’, there’s no denying that Mission: Impossible shows no sign of losing steam and has aged like fine wine. Needless to say, its success largely hinges on Cruise’s indelible portrayal of IMF’s hero, Ethan Hunt.
But let’s rewind to a time when Mission: Impossible nearly took a different path. Paramount briefly considered swapping Cruise for Renner, who could have been the new face of IMF’s daring escapades. Although this plan never materialized, Renner did make an appearance in the series as Agent William Brandt.
And his potential to replace Cruise did stir the pot, but it seems like the audience wasn’t keen on this change.
Jeremy Renner Almost Stepped into Tom Cruise’s Shoes?
When Jeremy Renner first joined the Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol cast, stories began swirling about the possibility of him swapping with Tom Cruise as the franchise’s main action hero. The Marvel star even threw fuel on the fire, hinting to MTV, “It’s a franchise to potentially take over,” while mulling over his future in the spy game.
The film’s cinematographer, Robert Elswit, later spilled the beans about how the filmmakers were toying with the idea of handing the reins to a new lead. During a chat with Light The Fuse podcast, he revealed that the original script had Cruise’s Ethan Hunt making a career change from top-notch spy to high-ranking Secretary. In this alternate universe, the plan was to introduce a new IMF unit led by none other than Renner.
To quote Elswit:
The original version of this movie had Tom Cruise retiring from being Ethan Hunt the agent to becoming Ethan Hunt the Secretary. They were going to assemble a new IMF Mission unit with a different actor leading the charge.
Renner’s exit from the franchise wasn’t just about leaving a high-octane job behind; he had a pretty good reason. “I had to leave that,” he told Collider. The actor further added:
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.
Well, fans might still hold out hope for a Brandt-centric storyline in the upcoming Mission: Impossible 8, but for now, it looks like the franchise is sticking with its tried-and-true formula.
Fans React: Jeremy Renner vs. Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible
In the $4.13 billion Mission: Impossible franchise (see Box Office Mojo), the notion of Jeremy Renner filling Tom Cruise’s place was always a bit of a long shot. Isn’t it like turning James Bond into a Q-focused series? Q, the gadget guru in the James Bond films, might be great with gizmos, but he’s not exactly the action-packed hero we tune in for.
Likewise, one fan’s quip sums it up perfectly: “Mission Impossible is Ethan Hunt.” Just like James Bond is the heart and soul of his own franchise, so is Ethan Hunt to Mission: Impossible. Swapping Cruise for Renner would be like making a James Bond flick without Bond himself. It’s a recipe for a narrative disaster.
Let’s see what fans are saying:
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So, what’s the scoop on Renner’s future with the franchise?
As of now, his name isn’t on the roster for Mission: Impossible 8. With production facing delays and Renner’s recovery from serious injury, it seems unlikely that Brandt will make a significant return in this installment.
But if Cruise really calls it quits, the franchise could veer off in a whole new direction, potentially bringing Renner back into the fold and giving his character, Brandt, a more prominent role.
Mission: Impossible films are currently streaming on Paramount+.
As for the next chapter, the eighth untitled installment of Mission: Impossible is set to hit the screen on May 23, 2025.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
