By Anadya Narain
Paramount Pictures
With six Mission: Impossible movies and counting, there have been plenty of big names who have come close to joining Tom Cruise in the spy franchise.
Paramount Pictures
Nicholas Hoult was alleged to join the Mission Impossible franchise as a villain in MI:7 and MI:8. Sadly, with 2020 being the pandemic era, casting didn’t go as planned.
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McKellen was offered the role of Dr. Nekhorvich in Mission: Impossible II, but rejected the part.
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Moss was set to be the woman lead opposite Cruise’s Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible III. However, Carnahan was replaced by J. J. Abrams
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Ricky Gervais was the first choice for Benji. Benji was a comic relief character who served as tech support.
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Jessica Chastain was linked to the role of the main female character in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation . Howeever she had to pass up due to her busy schedules.
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The final cast member from Carnahan's Mission: Impossible III to leave the project was Scarlett Johansson. Multiple delays meant that Johansson also had to bow out.
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Another actor who was initially cast as part of Carnahan's Mission: Impossible III was Kenneth Branagh, but later dropped out.
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