It seems Paramount is looking to shake things up withMission Impossible 6.Christopher McQuarrierecently confirmed he’ll return to direct the spy sequel, marking the first time in franchise history that a director will have a go at two installments. In another unconventional move,Tom Cruiseannounced the planned start of production forMission Impossible 6a week beforeRogue Nationeven arrived in theaters, and while that may be the norm for some studio sequels, Cruise has never rushed theMission Impossiblemovies, allowing for 4-6 years between installments. Now, Showbiz 411 reports thatRebecca Fergusonis “signed, sealed and delivered for part 6” to return as her scene-stealing character Isla Faust, the double (triple? quadruple?) crossing MI6 agent who finally made a worthy match for Ethan Hunt.
That would make Ferguson the first female lead to ever return for aMission Impossiblesequel (not countingMichel Monaghan’s brief cameo because it doesn’t count), a franchise that has been anywhere from “downright terrible” to “not awesome” towards its female characters in the past. And it’s just wonderful news. As Isla, Ferguson was the breakout performance inRogue Nation– a cool, collected, and absolutely classic leading lady who tackled the action sequences with an unusual level of grace. Stealing the show from Tom Cruise is no easy feat, but Ferguson pulled it off and her return is exactly the news a lot of folks (myself included) have been waiting for.
Ferguson’s return also fits with a general trend that’s emerged over the last threeMission: Impossiblefilms, which have transitioned from being the Tom Cruise Spectacular to much more of an ensemble effort. The result has been films that are generally speaking more fun, and a franchise that’s easier to invest in.
Now, of course it’s debatable if all these new change ups will take the franchise the right direction (except for the returning female character, because of course that’s a thing that should happen). After all, it was always fun to see a new director come in an put their stamp on the material, and I worry that the amount of time between installments is part of what allowed each of them to function so well. On the other hand, McQuarrie made an absolutely excellentMission: Impossiblesequel that incorporated all the best elements of the prior films into a single model, and given that he did it so recently, he probably doesn’t need as much time to prep. As for Ferguson’s return, there’s nothing not to love about that. I’d be happy to see her in all theMission: Impossiblemovies forever, and then maybe some Isla Faust spinoffs on top.
And it seems everybody is crazy for more Ferguson at the moment. Since breaking out big time withRogue Nation, she was considered for the female lead inGambit, filmed the buzzed aboutThe Girl on The Train,and landed the female lead oppositeMichael FassbenderinThe Snowman. Now, with another Mission: Impossible on the docket, she shows no signs of slowing down.
