Jeremy Renner Left ‘Mission: Impossible’ Franchise Because ‘It Requires a Lot of Time Away’ and ‘I Had to Go Be a Dad’ — but He’s Now Open to Return
Could Jeremy Renner’s “Mission: Impossible” character William Brandt be back in action?
In a new interview with Collider, Renner — who starred in 2011’s “Ghost Protocol” and 2015’s “Rogue Nation” alongside franchise star Tom Cruise — reflected on his decision to leave the franchise and hinted that he would be open to returning.
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“I was supposed to do more with them,” Renner said of the “Mission: Impossible” cast. “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.”
However, now that nearly 10 years have passed, Renner said he would “jump” at the chance to reprise the role of Brandt.
“Maybe now that my daughter is older that could happen,” Renner told Collider. “I’d always jump into a ‘Mission: Impossible’ anytime and back into Brandt. It’s great.”
At the end of “Rogue Nation,” Brandt decided to retire from his career in the Impossible Mission Force — but, unlike some “Misson: Impossible” characters, Brandt left the franchise alive, making a return even more likely.
The untitled eighth “Misson: Impossible” film is currently slated for 2025. Though it was originally thought to be the last of the franchise, Christopher McQuarrie — who has directed the last two films — stated last year that future installments are on the table.
Renner, perhaps best known for playing Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has made a triumphant return to acting after a snow plow accident in January 2023 left him with blunt chest trauma 30 broken bones. He is currently starring in Taylor Sheridan’s Paramount+ series “Mayor of Kingstown,” the third season of which premieres on June 2.
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