Henry Cavill joins the cast of 'Mission: Impossible 6'

The Mission: Impossible franchise didn't get off to the best start from a critical perspective. The first two installments in the series weren't all that beloved, and even J.J. Abrams' Mission: Impossible 3 didn't light the world on fire. But in 2011, Brad Bird turned the whole thing around with Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol. By bringing together Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, and Paula Patton, Bird created a spectacular core cast, taking the franchise to dizzying new heights with astonishing action scenes and amazing filmmaking. Four years later, Christopher McQuarrie (Jack Reacher) continued to build on what Bird started by delivering the terrific Rogue Nation, a film that came in a tremendous year for espionage movies. After the recent success, another installment in Paramount's strongest franchise is inevitable, but Cruise is getting older and they're hoping to get this one out pretty quickly. With a 2018 date in mind, McQuarrie is assembling his cast to jump into action.

Yesterday, it was revealed through a conversation on Twitter that Henry Cavill, star of the DC Cinematic Universe, will be joining the cast of Mission: Impossible 6. No word on his character, but there's rampant speculation on the endless possibilities of the role. Some believe that Cavill will be playing a villain (as I did initially), but Tracking Board's Jeff Sneider made a good point on Twitter about Cavill potentially replacing Cruise as the lead of the franchise. If all doesn't go well with Justice League in November, the charismatic British actor will certainly be looking for another big-budget series to headline. 

Nonetheless, casting Cavill in Mission: Impossible 6 feels weird to me. Not because Cavill is already lined up with another big-budget franchise, but because he already did a spy movie. Sure, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. wasn't the smash hit that everybody expected, and it was definitely overshadowed by the more impressive secret agent films from 2015 (Kingsman, Spy, Rogue Nation). However, it was still a highly entertaining romp, with a performance from Cavill that showcased his talents in a remarkable new way. Cavill hasn't had the best of luck with the DC Cinematic Universe, having starred in two critically derided blockbusters. But with a franchise as sturdy as Mission: Impossible, I have a feeling that he'll get a chance to do something spectacular. I like Cavill, and I like this move. I couldn't be more excited.

Mission: Impossible 6 is set to debut on July 27, 2018.

Image Credits: WB/Paramount/IMDB