Mission: ImpossibledirectorChristopher McQuarriehas shed more light on the fan-favorite bathroom fight betweenTom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt andHenry Cavill’s August Walker inMission: Impossible - Fallout, stating that a third household name was originally set to join the bare-fisted brawl, reported ina recent article featured on The Hollywood Reporter. Unfortunately, this unnamed male actor was unable to keep up with the rigorous physical demands of the role that both Cruise and Cavill have met tremendously.
Cruise’s physical dedication to his stunts within the franchise is well documented: from strapping himself to a plane all the way back toBrian De Palma’s theatrical debut of the franchise where Cruise trained to perform the underwater sequence in real-time.
Cavill, however, is just as deserving of admiration for his physical dedication to his roles, being labeled a “Warrior Monk” byZack Snyder. Both Snyder, who directed Cavill’s Superman inMan of Steel,Batman v Superman, andJustice League, and McQuarrie speak nothing but the highest praises of Cavill, expanding on his unwavering dedication to his action roles.
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With this in mind, it is easy to imagine how another big named actor just couldn’t keep up with these two action juggernauts. As a result, McQuarrie elected to cast one of the film’s stuntmenLiang Yangas the third fighter. “It’s a sequence other actors, when learning the level of commitment required, simply opted out,” McQuarrie said. There is no telling who this mysterious combatant was initially set to be; perhaps with time, McQuarrie will reveal his true identity.
McQuarrie, who took the helm of theMission Impossiblefranchise afterBrad Bird’s revival of the series following a five-year hiatus with 2011’sMission: Impossible - Ghost Protocolhas continued to maintain the new consistent high standard that is associated with the franchise. His contributions began withMission: Impossible - Rogue Nationin 2015, followed byMission: Impossible - Falloutin 2018, and the much-anticipatedMission: Impossible 7set to release in 2022.
Fans of the series know the unfortunate truth that Cavill’s Walker was killed off during his first appearance in the franchise. Perhaps an oversight considering the overwhelming reaction of fans to Cavill’s charisma in the film during his admittedly short duration on screen, no doubt due to the infamous mustache that plagued the theatrical release ofJoss Whedon’sJustice Leagueand now iconic double fist pump. Considering all the twists and turns the franchise has taken, this far it’s not out of the question to expect a triumphant return of Cavill within theMission: Impossiblefranchise. McQuarrie, who has control of the franchise for the foreseeable future, states: “I’m in the process of rewritingMission: 8right now, this afternoon I could turn a page and any actor from the past could come back.”
