Superman is a spy! Well, maybe.Henry Cavill, who dons the cape in the DCEU, has joined the cast ofMission: Impossible 6, marking a crazy exciting addition to that ensemble. This is actually coming full circle in a way—Tom Cruisewas initially set to star inThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.oppositeArmie Hammer. But whenMission: Impossible – Rogue Nationrequired his attention, Cruise was forced to drop out ofU.N.C.L.E.so he could help getRogue Nationready to shoot, and Cavill subsequently signed on as his replacement. Now, however, it appears that Cruise is keen on working with Cavill, and he’s becoming part of theMission: Impossiblefold for the untitled sixth installment.
News of Cavill’s casting actually broke on Instagram via writer/directorChristopher McQuarrie, who shared the below photo and subsequently carried on a conversation with Cavill in the comments.
McQuarrie marks the firstMission: Impossibledirector to repeat, singing on to write and helmMission: Impossible 6after the smashing success ofRogue Nation. He and Cruise have a strong rapport that goes back to his script forValkyrie, and he also helped out on rewrites forMission: Impossible – Ghost ProtocolandEdge of Tomorrowand helmed Cruise inJack Reacher.
PerVariety, Cavill is expected to be playing some sort of right-hand-man to the head of Cruise’s unit, which traditionally is the Secretary of State.Alec Baldwinassumed that role at the end ofRogue Nation, but it’s unclear if he’ll be back forMission: Impossible 6.Rebecca Ferguson,Simon Pegg, andJeremy Rennerare all expected to return, but Variety notes it’s unclear in what capacity—one or more could simply be brief cameo-like roles to tie up loose ends.
Cavill, obviously, is best known for playing Superman inMan of SteelandBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justiceand reprises that role in this November’sJustice League, but it wasGuy Ritchie’s sorely underratedThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.where he really got a chance to shine. The guy is hilarious when he wants to be, and incredibly smooth, and so a McQuarrie script/theMission: Impossiblefranchise seems like the perfect fit. As if I wasn’t already excited for this movie enough.
