Fans of Tom Cruise’s adventures as Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible franchise are in for a treat, as not only are Mission: Impossible 7 and Mission: Impossible 8 both on the way, they’ve been shooting back to back. As cameras continue to roll, we finally have some casting updates after months of not hearing about anyone new participating in one or both of these movies. Five new actors have been announced for 7 and 8, including a Deadpool 2 star.
Director and writer Christopher McQuarrie, who’s been part of the Mission: Impossible franchise since Ghost Protocol and has been steering the blockbuster ship since Rogue Nation, revealed on his Instagram page that Rob Delaney, Charles Parnell, Indira Varma, Mark Gatiss and Cary Elwes are all slated to appear in both Mission: Impossible 7 and Mission: Impossible 8. No details about who they’re playing were revealed, but they join a lineup of new faces that includes Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham and Esai Morales.
Rob Delaney is the Deadpool 2 alum of the bunch, having played the mustachioed Peter in Ryan Reynolds’ second outing as the Merc with the Mouth (X-Men Origins: Wolverine doesn’t count). Delaney’s other notable credits include Hobbs & Shaw, Bombshell, Tom & Jerry and the TV series Catastrophe, which he co-created with Sharon Horgan.
Charles Parnell already has some experience working with Tom Cruise from his time working on the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick, though it’s unclear how much screen time these two will share across the next two Mission: Impossible movies. You may also recognize Parnell from projects like Transformers: Age of Extinction, All My Children and The Last Ship, as well as voicing Nick Fury in the 2020 Avengers video game.
Indira Varma is no stranger to espionage-related stories, as she starred in the short-lived Human Target series. As far as big screen work goes, Varma has appeared in movies like Basic Instinct 2, Exodus: Gods and Kings and The One and Only Ivan, while her extensive TV resume includes Luther, Rome, Carnival Row, Game of Thrones and Disney+’s upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series.
Speaking of Game of Thrones, Mark Gatiss is another alum of the hit HBO series, where he played Tycho Nestoris. But perhaps you’re more familiar with Gatiss from his time as Mycroft on the Sherlock series (which he co-created), or know him for his various contributions to Doctor Who, which includes playing two different characters.
Finally, Cary Elwes needs no introduction to fans of The Princess Bride, where he played Westley/Dread Pirate Roberts. But if the Rob Reiner-directed movie isn’t your cup of tea, then you’ll likely remember Elwes from things like Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Saw, Glory, The X-Files and Psych.
Now that we’re caught up on all the new people joining Mission: Impossible 7 and Mission: Impossible 8, let’s go over the familiar faces. Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt will be joined by Ving Rhames’ Luther Stickell, Simon Pegg’s Benji Dunn, Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa Faust, Vanessa Kirby’s Alanna Mitsopolis, Frederick Schmidt’s Zola Mitsopolis, Angela Bassett’s Erika Sloane and Henry Czerny’s Eugene Kittridge, who hasn’t appeared since the first Mission: Impossible movie. So there’s an impressive lineup of on-camera talent assembled, but don’t be surprised if there are a few key castings still being kept secret.
Mission: Impossible 7 hits theaters on November 21, 2021 (and will be available on Paramount+ 45 days after its big screen debut), while Mission: Impossible 8 will arrive on November 4, 2022. Don’t forget to learn what else this year has in store with our lineup of upcoming 2021 movies.
