Simon Pegg teases how Benji will change in future Mission: Impossible films
Production on the latest instalment of the blockbuster action franchise was delayed due to lockdown measures
Simon Pegg has given a hint of what Mission: Impossible fans can expect for his character, Benji, in future films.
The actor was interviewed by The Hollywood Reporter when he spoke about how Benji has "evolved" in each movie, "from being a lab technician – who reluctantly gets involved in the action – to being a fresh-faced field agent who thinks, 'Oh, this is great and fun, and I’m gonna wear a mask,' to actually experiencing what it’s really about, which is not so pleasant."
He continued: "I’m looking forward to playing him again having been through what he went through on Fallout, which was unpleasant.
"I can see him not being quite as thrilled with the job, and it’s gonna be fun to play out the narratives that McQ [director Christopher McQuarrie] has set up. It’s been a really long journey for him; it’s not about each individual film. He’s tracking a journey for each of those characters, not just Ethan [Tom Cruise], but all of us."
It recently emerged that Nicholas Hoult has been replaced in Mission: Impossible 7, after being cast to play the main villain. The role will now be portrayed by Esai Morales.
Production on the latest instalment of the blockbuster action franchise had been scheduled to begin in Venice in March, but Paramount Pictures and Skydance shut down production due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It was this delay that caused a scheduling conflict for Hoult. The sequel was one of the first high-profile films to suspend its production before lockdown was announced.
In a statement, Paramount Pictures said: “During this hiatus we want to be mindful of the concerns of the crew and are allowing them to return home until production starts.”
McQuarrie, who directed the previous two Mission: Impossible films, will return to direct the new outing, which recently had its release date pushed back from July 2021 to November 2021.
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