Between Jason Bourne and Spectre, spy movie franchises have not fared so well in recent years. There's really only one major espionage film series that has thrived, and that is Tom Cruise's explosive Mission: Impossible franchise. His next mission -- if he chooses to accept it -- is currently slated to hit theaters in the summer of 2018, and as such, the project has gradually started to come together. With production on Mission: Impossible 6 set to begin in spring, the film has officially found its second female lead in the form of The Crown's Vanessa Kirby.
A report from Variety confirms the casting of Vanessa Kirby in the upcoming sixth installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise. Kirby is best known for her work on Netflix's The Crown as Princess Margaret, as well as her supporting roles in About Time, Me Before You, and Everest. She is the latest addition to a supporting cast that includes Ving Rhames, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, and Rebecca Ferguson.
Exact details regarding how Vanessa Kirby's character will factor into the overarching narrative of Mission: Impossible 6 remains fairly unclear as of right now. This makes sense, as we really don't know anything about the plot of the movie yet. The only thing that he been established is that her character will take on a similar role to the one inhabited by Rebecca Ferguson in Rogue Nation. This could mean that she will be an antagonistic agent, or it could mean that she is an ally for Ethan Hunt, or it could be anything in between. Motives are seldom clear in these films.
The very fact that Rebecca Ferguson is even returning to the Mission: Impossible franchise is a relatively significant development or the series. Before her, the only female lead to appear in the series for more than one film was Michelle Monaghan's Julia from Mission: Impossible III -- and her role in Ghost Protocol was little more than a cameo appearance shoehorned in at the very end of the movie.
That also begs the question as to whether or not Julia will even factor into the narrative of the upcoming Mission: Impossible movie. In true Mission: Impossible fashion, the continuity of Ethan's relationship/marital status has been spotty as best over the course of the last few movies.
We will bring you more information related to Vanessa Kirby's involvement in Mission: Impossible 6 as more details related to the project become available to us. The film is set to begin production this spring, and it will hit theaters on July 27, 2018. Stay tuned for more updates!
