The team set up of the various Mission Impossible films has always erred on the side of testosterone, but the news that Henry Cavill has joined the new Mission Impossible film does nothing to overturn the assumption that women and action movies don’t go together. Variety are reporting that the Superman actor will join Tom Cruise in this, the sixth film based on the TV series, as a member of the IMF on the corporate side if you like.

The report states that Cavill will act as a ‘right hand’ to the head of the IMF. A number of actors have played Tom Cruise’s boss, with Alex Baldwin being the most recent incumbent in Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation. Anthony Hopkins, Tom Wilkinson and Laurence Fishburne have all had their hands on the role with varying degrees of loyalty and deception. Whether Cavill will have any duplicitous tricks up his sleeve will no doubt play a part in the film.

Mission Impossible
The good old days…

Early into pre-production the film briefly stalled with reported salary negotiations breaking down between Paramount and Tom Cruise. He’ll return however, with Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner alongside. Christopher McQuarrie will become the first director in the series to come back for a second film. In truth, he’s the reason we’re interested in this one.

Cavill will no doubt be back for Justice League later this year, despite having ‘died’ in the critically-mauled Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Talks are continuing behind the scenes about the second Man of Steel film, which is something of a trend in DC’s uneven cinematic universe. The Batman has only recently found a director following Ben Affleck’s departure and is said to be back on the drawing board.

Plot details of Mission: Impossible 6 have not yet been revealed – we’ll be on hand to deliver the (self-destructing) message when we have it.

Christopher McQuarrie Mission: Impossible Premiere Interview