The die-hard Mission: Impossible fans should love this.
One of the most highly anticipated blockbusters in recent memory, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning will be released in two parts, with the first coming out in July 2023 and the second set for release in June 2024.
The reason movie fans are so excited for the return of the Tom Cruise-fronted action spy flick could be down to a number of factors, including the consistently good-to-great previous entries in the series and the jaw-dropping trailer and behind-the-scenes footage that has already hit the web for Dead Reckoning Part One to date.
Another factor though could also be the incredible cast assembled for the sequels. Previously announced returning franchise actors include Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Ving Rhames, as well as Henry Czerny - who will be back in a Mission: Impossible film for the first time since he played IMF director Eugene Kittridge in the 1996 original.
Rolf Saxon in 1996's Mission: Impossible
However, Dead Reckoning's writer and director Christopher McQuarrie has now confirmed that another familiar franchise face, albeit slightly more obscure, has been cast in the project. That is Rolf Saxon, who played the small but memorable role of CIA analyst William Donloe in the first Mission: Impossible.
For those who need a reminder, Donloe was the character assigned to look after highly classified documents at the CIA headquarters in Langley. However, after being drugged by Ethan Hunt's team, Donloe begins to feel ill - giving Hunt (Cruise) the chance to drop from the ceiling and steal the documents in one of the movie series' most iconic sequences.
You can watch the clip below.
Following the incident, Donloe was removed from his duties at Langley and transferred to a polar substation in Alaska.
Confirming Saxon's casting in Dead Reckoning Part Two, McQuarrie shared a photo of a now-bearded Donloe on his Instagram.
Also recently announced to be appearing alongside Saxon in Dead Reckoning Part Two was Ted Lasso breakout star Hannah Waddingham. Meanwhile, Esai Morales (Ozark) will play the main villain across both sequels, with Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter in the MCU) also set to appear in the two movies.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One will be released in Irish cinemas on 14 July 2023.
