Mission: Impossible 7 - Every Character Not Returning In The Sequel
Mission: Impossible 7 is bringing back multiple characters from previous films, but there are many others who haven't been confirmed to return. It's been over 20 years since Tom Cruise first played Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible, and he was one of a few recurring characters early on. The vision of writer/director Christopher McQuarrie, though, has recently seen the Mission: Impossible franchise grow immensely. This will continue with Mission: Impossible 7 and its already announced sequel, Mission: Impossible 8.
The ongoing story for Mission: Impossible will once again put Ethan Hunt at the focus as he faces bigger threats and partakes in crazier action sequences. Cruise will be the star of Mission: Impossible 7 and it has already been confirmed that Rebecca Ferguson (Ilsa Faust), Ving Rhames (Luther), Simon Pegg (Benji), and Vanessa Kirby will return after recent appearances. But, it was also revealed that Henry Czerny will return as Kittridge. All of these returning characters join a cast that added Hayley Atwell, Esai Morales, Shea Whigham, and Pom Klementieff.
Casting ramped up in 2020 ahead of the original plan for production begin. However, the announcements of who else will appear have come to a halt as coronavirus prevented production from continuing. This has already seen Morales replace Nicholas Hoult as the sequel's villain and might change the cast more. It's possible that McQuarrie is even holding onto other potential announcements regarding returning characters until the film's production schedule is finalized. So far, that means some significant characters from the franchise are not currently confirmed to return.
Jeremy Renner is not confirmed to return in Mission: Impossible 7. Renner made his franchise debut as William Brandt in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol and was thought to be the future lead of the series. That transition hasn't come given the continued popularity of Cruise. Instead of taking over as the lead, Renner returned for Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation in a smaller role. Brandt hasn't returned since then, even though he was offered the chance to return - and die - in Mission: Impossible - Fallout. The absence of Brandt will remain a lingering question for the franchise if Renner doesn't wind up returning in either upcoming installment.
Sean Harris' return as Solomon Lane in Mission: Impossible 7 is currently unconfirmed. Lane made his first appearance in Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, where he served as the main villain due to his plans with The Syndicate. Although Ethan defeated him in the end, Lane returned in Mission: Impossible - Fallout and antagonized him and the IMF team again. Lane was last seen being handed over to MI6. He is believed to be in prison but could have been killed because of his crimes. Since his fate is currently unknown, Lane could return again in the future, but that might not be in Mission: Impossible 7.
The return of Thandie Newton as Nyah Nordoff-Hall is not set for Mission: Impossible 7. Nyah is one of Ethan's original love interests in the franchise, with Newton joining the franchise in Mission: Impossible II. She worked with Ethan, despite not being an IMF agent, to take down her former lover Sean Ambrose. Nyah's life is put in danger when she injects herself with a deadly virus to keep it out of Ambrose's hands, but she is saved by Luther at the end. This was the last time Nyah appeared in Ethan's life and that currently won't change unless she's added to Mission: Impossible 7's cast at a later date.
It is unknown if Paula Patton will return as Jane Carter in Mission: Impossible 7. Patton joined the franchise with Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. Audiences were introduced to Jane as she was part of the IMF team that helped break Ethan out of prison. She remained part of the crew afterward and played a part in preventing a nuclear war. Jane hasn't returned in any of the sequels that followed her debut, and she is so far not confirmed to return for Mission: Impossible 7 either.
Michelle Monaghan's time as Julia Meade-Hunt might not continue with Mission: Impossible 7. She made her debut in Mission: Impossible III as Ethan's wife, but it was revealed that the requirements of his job came in the way of their relationship continuing. Monaghan had a cameo at the end of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol and then returned for a supporting role in Mission: Impossible - Fallout. Now that Julia has moved on with her life and remarried, there's no indication that she'll return once more.
CIA director Erika Sloane, played by Angela Bassett, is not confirmed to return in Mission: Impossible 7. Sloane is a newcomer to the franchise after her debut in Mission: Impossible - Fallout. She worked with and against Ethan during that film but became a true ally by the end. Despite her introduction coming in a McQuarrie film, there has yet to any indication that Sloane or the CIA will factor into the upcoming installment - although that could easily change.
Anthony Hopkins has yet to be confirmed to return as Swanbeck in Mission: Impossible 7. Hopkins joined the franchise in Mission: Impossible II for an uncredited minor role. Swanbeck is the mission commander who sends Ethan and his IMF team out to take down Sean Ambrose. His status within the IMF hasn't brought him back into Ethan's life as far as the movies have shown, but that could change with the upcoming installment.
Maggie Q is not confirmed to return as Zhen Lei in Mission: Impossible 7. The actress joined the franchise for Mission: Impossible III, with Zhen Lei taking a prominent place on Ethan's IMF team. She is last seen at the IMF headquarters but hasn't joined Ethan on any other missions so far. This has not been for a lack of trying, though, as Maggie Q revealed that she was asked to return for the fourth and fifth installments. She was unable to appear due to her busy TV schedule in both instances. It is possible that this could change with Mission: Impossible 7, but no announcement has been made.
There is no sign that Laurence Fishburne will return as Theodore Brassel in Mission: Impossible 7 either. Fishburne joined the franchise with Mission: Impossible III, where he served as Ethan's boss and the executive director of IMF. Although it was originally believed Brassel was allied with the film's villains, he is confirmed to be a trustworthy member of IMF. Brassel is last seen meeting with Ethan and Julia after the final shootout, but it is unknown what happened to him next. So far, it does not appear that Fishburne will make a return for Mission: Impossible 7.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers is not confirmed to return as Declan Gormley in Mission: Impossible 7. Meyers was another new addition to the franchise in Mission: Impossible III and served as a pilot on Ethan's IMF team throughout the film. Declan survived the various missions featured in the movie but never returned after. There hasn't been any information on what happened to Declan next, and that likely won't change unless he does return in Mission: Impossible 7.