Tom Cruise has been a movie star for decades, but one doesn’t reach that level of success without learning a few things along the way. The star has been able to do a lot, and he’s shared some of the things he’s learned with his other co-stars, including his longtime Mission: Impossible collaborator Ving Rhames.

Speaking with Fox News, Rhames revealed one piece of advice he got from the actor, which he has always tried to follow. It’s an obviously simple one, but certainly not something that everybody does. The advice was…

It’s a slightly more family-friendly way to follow a similar piece of advice that Keanu Reeves recently gave to up-and-coming actors. The John Wick star suggested “don’t be a—-le” as the advice he wanted to see others in Hollywood follow.

They’re two different ways of saying the same thing. While Tom Cruise and Keanu Reeves may be movie stars, people who clearly have achieved a level of success that gives them authority over others on a movie set, it seems both make a concerted effort not to act as if they are above the rest of the cast and crew.

Rhames also has his own advice that has served him well through his years in the film industry, which involves putting a proper amount of distance between himself and the world of Hollywood. He said…

A fair number of stars over the last several years are actually not in Hollywood at all, as many celebs, from Mark Wahlberg to Ryan Reynolds to Matthew McConaughey, don’t live in Southern California anymore. While this might seem to move counter to Rhames perspective, the implication from many is that their decision to leave involved making sure they were not of Hollywood in exactly the way the actor describes. So they’re really following the same advice, just in a different way.

Whether or not Ving Rhames will be in a position to get more great advice from Tom Cruise remains to be seen. As far as we know, the Mission: Impossible franchise is officially done. If that is the case, Rhames admits he will miss making the movies with his co-star. Apparently those conversations about the industry will be what the actor misses the most. He continued…

Tom Cruise has plenty of other upcoming movies, and based on the fact that he tries to treat everybody fairly, that certainly means passing on what he’s learned about Hollywood to other co-stars.

The Mission: Impossible franchise came to an explosive end weeks ago with the release of The Final Reckoning. Not only did Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie send off Ethan Hunt on a high note with some awesome action sequences, but they also tugged at fans’ heartstrings. That was particularly true with the handling of Ving Rhames’ Luther Stickell, as the character sacrifices himself to limit the destruction of a bomb. Now, I’m in my feelings while hearing McQuarrie explain why Luther’s death had to happen, but I get it.

Before The Final Reckoning hit theaters, M:I fans were already resistant to the notion of Luther meeting his demise in the film. So it’s fair to imagine that many of them were feeling a way when they actually witnessed it on the big screen for themselves. Christopher McQuarrie is known for being a thoughtful storyteller, so he definitely didn’t off one of the franchise’s most beloved characters without a good reason. As McQuarrie explained to Empire, the development had to do with the narrative’s biggest theme:

Many of the Mission: Impossible films place emphasis on the notion of sacrifice, but that’s definitely the case when it comes to this latest installment. Ethan, Benji Dunn, Grace and co. all risk their lives to put a stop to Gabriel and the threat of the technological advanced Entity. Given that, someone had to lose their life or the story would’ve lacked any true potency. So, while Luther’s death and final exchange with Ethan are tragic, they certainly serve the plot. Christopher McQuarrie wasn’t the only one all in for this death, either.

The filmmaker – who’s fondly known as “McQ” to his colleagues – further explained that Ving Rhames also agreed with killing off Luther, who was already battling medical issues ahead of his death. Rhames made his debut as the character in the first M:I, which hit theaters back in 1996. Since then, he’s appeared in every installment of the series (and yes, that cameo in Ghost Protocol counts). McQuarrie says that Rhames was a pro when it came to helping to play out Luther’s sacrifice:

Believe it or not, there were actually other death-related ideas that Christopher McQuarrie toyed with for The Final Reckoning. In fact, he even considered killing off Ethan Hunt and thought about having that occur after the film’s awesome airplane sequence. Hunt ultimately lives to fight another day, though, as McQuarrie and co. shied away from offing him. Ethan’s fate is ultimately what lends more credence to the notion of the final scene being open-ended.

Should the M:I franchise return at some point, Luther Stickell won’t be in the fold, of course (barring some kind of flashback). The notion of Stickell having passed on is admittedly a tough pill to swallow. Nevertheless, I’m glad he receives a hero’s death, and I’m not sure I’ll ever forget his final, emotional message to Ethan, which plays at the end of the movie. Check out Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is still playing in theaters, and you can stream the other installments with a Paramount+ subscription.

The following contains major spoilers for Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.

All signs point to new Mission: Impossible movie living up to its title and The Final Reckoning being the franchise's last movie, starring Tom Cruise, at least. The conclusion of a franchise is not infrequently the end for at least some characters in that franchise, and Mission: Impossible is unfortunately no exception. On that note, there is going to be one group of fans quite unhappy with the film.

The r/MissionImposisble subreddit has a thread from several months ago entitled “If Luther Dies We Riot”, which begs writer-director Christopher McQuarrie not not kill off Ving Rhames' character who first appeared in the very first Mission: Impossible movie.

A Key Mission: Impossible Character Doesn’t Survive The Final Reckoning

If you’ve seen The Final Reckoning, and based on the early box office results, you may have, then you know those particular fans are going to be very upset with the movie, because Luther Stickell does indeed perish early in the film. The movie establishes that Luther is already very sick, which is clearly meant to soften the blow when he ultimately sacrifices himself to save the city of London and Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt from a nuclear explosion.

Needless to say, the fans in this subreddit, or at least the one who started the thread, are probably very upset right now. I’m guessing that somebody posting to the franchise subreddit is the sort to be sure to see the movie on opening weekend, if only to avoid spoilers. Luckily, there have been no reports (that I’m aware of) regarding riots inside movie theaters showing The Final Reckoning.

Luther Is The Only Character To Appear In Every Mission: Impossible Movie Aside From Ethan Hunt

Considering this is supposed to be Tom Cruise's last Mission: Impossible movie, there were certainly going to be people wondering if Ethan Hunt himself would survive the final movie. He ultimately does, and that fact may be the reason that Luther’s fate was sealed.

Ving Rhames' character is the only one, other than Ethan Hunt himself, to appear in every Mission: Impossible movie. If the goal was to up the stakes of the last movie, and to do it in a way that fans of the franchise would really feel it, Luther was really the only character who could have been taken away mid-movie.

It is certainly sad to lose Luther but, of course, that’s the whole point. Sometimes, characters we love are lost as part of an emotional story. And it looks like it worked as Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning appears to be on track for a franchise-best opening weekend. Still, let's salute the late Luther Stickell for all of his heroics throughout the history of this beloved franchise.

You can check out The Final Reckoning in theaters now, and stream the first seven Mission: Impossible movies with a Paramount+ subscription.

Here’s the thing: I love Con Air. I was blown away by the all-time great action movie when I first saw it as a kid back in 1997, and 28 years later, I’m just as obsessed with it. Even though some things will never make sense about the star-studded action flick, there’s so much to love. You’ve got one of the wildest Nicolas Cage characters, an amazing John Cusack performance, and quite possibly the most ruthless group of villains of all time led by John Malkovich’s Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom.

Though Cyrus is quite possibly one of the most charismatic, intelligent, and meanest bad guys of the ‘90s, I don’t think he’s the worst of the worst aboard the “Jail Bird.” Sure, he’s the ringleader of it all and adds more notches to his kill count than anyone else in the movie, but there are some runaways on the plane that are far more rotten. Let me explain…

Cyrus ‘The Virus’ Grissom

While it is true that Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom orchestrated the whole hijacking, killed an ungodly number of people, and has a rap sheet longer than just about anyone in Con Air, it’s argued in the movie that he’s a “true product of the system.” It doesn’t absolve this show-stealing villain of his crimes, but it’s all he’s ever known.

The 11 inmates killed during his stints in prison, three riots, and two escape attempts won’t put him on the “nice” list, but unlike some of his co-conspirators and fellow passengers, John Malkovich’s utterly insane character did at least have standards. Despite having “killed more men than cancer,” Cyrus despises assalters, has no time for white nationalists, and is incredibly loyal to those who have his back (just don’t turn against him).

Nathan ‘Diamond Dog’ Jones

Nathan “Diamond Dog” Jones, Ving Rhames’ militant domestic terrorist in prison for blowing up an NRA meeting, is nearly as charismatic and devilish as Cyrus, and he also has quite the bite. One of the orchestrators of the prison transport plane takeover, Diamond Dog is pretty much The Virus’ right-hand man. And despite being a very, very bad man, his charm, wit, and smile make it hard to hate on him too much.

Yeah, he kills a lot of folks, adds several more felonies to an already impressive list, and makes life a living hell for Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage), but again, it’s hard to keep this dog down.

Earl ‘Swamp Thing’ Williams

Earl “Swamp Thing” Williams (M. C. Gainey) is one of the hijackers we learn the least about in Con Air. Outside of being a skilled pilot (and knowing how to properly remove a plane’s transponder) and fellow inmate, nothing much is said about him before or after he hitches a ride in Carson City. However, his crazy sense of humor, facial hair, and general disdain for authority put him in the middle of the pack as far as terribleness goes.

Joe 'Pinball' Parker

I miss the days when Dave Chappelle would randomly show up in movies like You’ve Got Mail and Con Air, because he had a perfect batting average in the late ‘90s. Though Joe “Pinball” Parker doesn’t get a whole lot of time in the movie before he gets crushed by the landing gear and ends up smashing through that old dude’s car, he does play a key role in taking over the plane.

The serial arsonist catching a fellow inmate on fire kickstarts the whole takeover of the plane, and him quickly grabbing a guard’s keys allows the more violent offenders to escape their cages. If he’d kept his mouth shut (and that balloon of fuel and matches) in his stomach, Cameron Poe would have made it home on time.

Francisco Cindino

Francisco Cindino (Jesse Borrego) is only in Con Air for a short while before he gets turned into a pile of ashes by Cyrus Grissom, but this guy had it coming. A South American drug lord and terrorist who helped finance the whole operation, Cindino made the mistake of trying to double-cross one of the most ruthless men to ever go through the United States Penal System.

William 'Billy Bedlam' Bedford

Okay, now it’s time to talk about the bad of the bad when it comes to Con Air villains. First up is William “Billy Bedlam” Bedford (Nick Chinlund), a man with absolutely no redeeming qualities. He’s not bright, he’s not funny, he’s not nice, and he has one of the most disturbing reasons for being in prison in the first place.

This guy didn't kill his wife after catching her having an affair, but instead drove four towns over to her family's house where he killed her parents, her brothers, her sisters, and even the dog before it was all said and done. Plus, he didn't put the bunny back in the box when Cameron Poe politely asked him to leave his stuff alone.

John ‘Johnny 23’ Baca

Danny Trejo may be a badass in real life, but his character in Con Air was one depraved sicko. John “Johnny 23” Baca, whose name would be “Johnny 600” if the authorities knew how many women he had assaulted before being caught, even has a tattoo representing each of his victims on his arm.

The serial assaulter, who mostly just looked scary and made multiple threats to Guard Sally Bishop (Rachel Ticotin) on the flight, showed not even a sliver of remorse from start to finish, which made him one of the worst of the worst on “Jail Bird.”

Garland ‘The Marietta Mangler' Greene

Steve Buscemi’s Garland Greene is introduced as “The Marietta Mangler” when he is brought aboard the plane like Hannibal Lecter halfway through Con Air, and instantly becomes one of the most insane and unforgettable convicts on the escape path. While the man responsible for countless murders does seem to be one of the nicer convicts on the flight (at least on the surface level), that's far from the case.

Despite his friendly demeanor, keen observation skills, and ability to point out irony in the worst of times, I can’t set aside the fact that Greene bragged about driving through multiple states wearing a victim’s head like a hat. But his successful escape at the end of the movie does have me bummed we never got a Con Air sequel.

So, Who's The Worst?

If Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom isn’t the worst of the worst from Con Air, then who is it? Well, after thinking long and hard about this, I firmly believe that it’s Billy Bedlam who is the sickest, most depraved, and unlikable convict aboard the plane. Not only did he kill his wife’s family (and dog) so that she would suffer even more, and not only was he a chicken shit throughout the movie, but he also messed with Cameron Poe’s attempt to do the right thing and ruin his surprise for his daughter.

Johnny 23 and Garland Greene weren’t far behind, but Billy Bedlam was just the worst…

Bonus: DEA Agent Duncan Malloy

Before I go, I just have to point out that DEA Agent Duncan Malloy (Colm Meaney) has to be the biggest jerk in Con Air and possibly in any ‘90s movie. It’s partially his fault that everything got chaotic in the movie, and his “AZZ KIKR” license plate gives off some serious inferiority complex like he’s Kirk Millhouse sleeping in a racing car on The Simpsons. However, his introductory line of “this is spectacular” when describing his car is one of the best parts of the movie.

I know Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom is a terrible guy who deserved to go out by getting crushed by some random piece of equipment off the Las Vegas Strip, but there’s no denying he’s one of the best villains of all time.

From the moment it debuted with a two-hour pilot episode in September of 1994 until it left the air in 2009, ER was a ratings monster. It regularly topped the ratings for the year during its 331-episode run and launched careers left and right. George Clooney for goodness sake! Not only did it have big stars in its regular cast like Clooney, Anthony Edwards, Maura Tierney, and Eriq LaSalle, but it also had a huge amount of guest stars and up-and-coming actors roll through the show. Here is our list of some of the biggest. 

Nick Offerman

Nick Offerman is most well known for playing the great Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation where he regularly delivered some of the funniest lines on the show. He didn't have anything funny to say in his one role on ER where he played a bandmate of a bass player in distress in the emergency room.  

Taraji P. Henson

The accolades for Taraji P. Henson's acting have come fast and fierce in recent years, but she's been showcasing her talent on screen since the late '90s. One of her earliest roles was in a Season 4 episode of ER, and then in Season 5, she returned in a different role. She kept landing guest roles for years on shows like CSI and Boston Legal before landing her starring turn in Empire and the rest is history. 

Bradley Whitford

A few years before the role of Josh Lyman on The West Wing would make him a star, Bradley Whitford appeared in two episodes of ER in 1995. He'd been working regularly for almost a decade at that point and would find small roles here and there for another few years before The West Wing. He's been an in-demand actor ever since. 

Kristin Davis

Before she was a regular on Melrose Place, and before she was one of Jerry's many girlfriends on Seinfeld, Kristin Davis played a woman who was very into George Clooney's character very briefly in one episode of the first season of ER. While she only showed up once on the show, it clearly opened some big doors - and big martini glasses - in the future. 

Zac Efron

Before becoming a star in High School Musical, Zac Efron was almost type-cast as a troubled teen. On ER he played a teenager who turned up in the emergency room after being shot. He was also a troublemaker in an early role on NCIS. These days he's one of the biggest stars to grace the screen, but he used to just be in trouble on screen! 

Ewan McGregor

Ewan McGregor is something different to different generations. For some, he'll always be Renton in Trainspotting. Of course, for many, he'll always be a young Obi-Wan Kenobi. For even others, he's known as the guy who drove his motorcycle around the world in Long Way Round. You can't help but wonder if that name was inspired by his guest spot on ER in a Season 3 episode called "The Long Way Around" in 1997. 

Julie Bowen

While Julie Bowen is best known these days for playing Claire Dunphy in Modern Family, her career stretches way further back. Her first TV role came in the early '90s and her breakout role came in the 1993 Adam Sandler smash hit Happy Gilmore. In the late '90s, she had a nine-episode run on ER as the reoccurring character named Roxanne Please, who was John Carter's (Noah Wyle) girlfriend. 

Ving Rhames

1994 was a big year for Ving Rhames. Not only did he star in Pulp Fiction, but he also landed a reoccurring role as Walt Robbins, father-in-law to Dr. Peter Benton (Eriq La Salle). In total, he appeared in eight episodes over three seasons, but by then he'd also starred in Mission: Impossible and the rest is history. 

Lucy Liu

Lucy Liu is no stranger to hit television shows. She was a star of Ally McBeal in the '90s and '00s, and in Elementary in the teens. Early on, she also appeared in cameos and supporting roles on big shows like NYPD Blue and The X-Files. She also made it onto three episodes of ER, in 1995. 

Chris Pine

Believe it or not, there was a time when Chris Pine wasn't one of the "Chrises" and wasn't one of the biggest movie stars in the world. He was, in his early days, just like so many other actors, just looking to snag any role they could. Luckily for Pine, it was on a show like ER. In fact, the show he appeared in during Season 9 of the show was his first credited acting performance. 

Don Cheadle

When Don Cheadle appeared as a doctor in a 4-episode arc in 2002 on ER, he was already well-established as an actor. In fact, it came not long after he was established enough to take his name off the credits of Ocean's Eleven, despite delivering some of the best one-liners in the movie. 

J.K. Simmons

Any fan of Law & Order knows just how ingrained J.K. Simmons was in prime-time television around the turn of the century. He was a regular on that show, and he turned up in a bunch of others as well, including an episode of ER in 2004. you can always count on a great J.K. Simmons performance, no matter what he is in. 

Christina Hendricks

While she had been cast in a number of shows before Mad Men, Christina Hendricks had never really broken through as a star. That changed with the AMC show, but before that, she was just a regular hard-working actress in Hollywood. One of her earliest gigs was on ER in 2002. 

Adam Scott

Adam Scott is not the only Parks And Recreation star to appear in ER early in his career, but he did have a pretty intense role as an injured man clinging to life in the emergency room way back in 1995. It's hard to imagine it took 15 more years to get the big-time attention he deserves when he landed his role on Park & Rec. 

Glen Howerton

In 2005 Always Sunny In Philadelphia took the world by storm and went on to become one of the longest-running sitcoms of all time. Glen Howerton played a huge part in that, as one of the stars and co-creators. A couple of years earlier, he was playing a very different role as a doctor in six Episodes of ER during its 10th Season. 

Keiko Agena

Gilmore Girls regular and co-star of Prodigal Son, Keiko Agena is one of the few actors who played two different characters on ER. She first appeared on the show very early in her career, in 1998, then later appeared in the final season in 2009. 

Jessica Chastain

With three Oscar nominations and one win, Jessica Chastain has proven she's among the best Hollywood has to offer. She proved her acting years ago though, in shows like ER. In only her second credited role, she appeared on ER in 2004 in an episode called "Forgive and Forget."

Aaron Paul

For most people, Aaron Paul is best known for his legendary role in Breaking Bad but years before that show would become a hit, he played a pretty similar character on ER in an episode called "A Saint in the City," way back in 2003. 

Octavia Spencer

In 1998 when Octavia Spencer appeared on ER, it was the latest in a string of supporting roles she landed early in her career. That string would continue for a little while longer before she emerged as one of the most beloved stars of the teens and '20s after her star-making role in The Help.

Mena Suvari

As it was for a lot of cast members, American Pie was huge for Mena Suvari. She had been working for a few years in Hollywood before that, picking up roles here and there in shows like Boy Meets World and movies like The Slums of Beverly Hills. Another early role came in a 1998 episode of ER where she played a high school cheerleader who didn't want to listen to her doctors. 

Kirsten Dunst

As a child actor, Kirsten Dunst's career started when she was just six years old. It would be a few years before she landed a brief reoccurring role as a troubled teen in six episodes of ER in the show's third season. 

Dakota Fanning

Quite a few child actors who went on to greater fame came through the doors of the emergency room at Cook County General Hospital, including a young Dakota Fanning. Fanning played a young girl named Delia who came in after a car accident and viewers find out she's a cancer survivor. 

James Cromwell

One of the ultimate "that guys" in Hollywood, James Cromwell has been acting for decades. His career really started in earnest in the mid-'70s and he's been playing supporting and starring roles ever since. On ER, he played a drug-seeking priest in four episodes in Season 7. 

Josh Peck

Josh Peck was a breakout Nickelodeon star as half of Drake & Josh. That wasn't his first role though. After a few small roles and a reoccurring spot in The Amanda Show (which led to Drake & Josh), he landed a small role in an episode of ER in 2002 as a kid with heart problems. 

Eva Mendes

Before Eva Mendes semi-retired to raise her family with Ryan Gosling, she was one of the biggest stars on the planet. You can trace her career all the way back to her very first role which came in 1998 on an episode of ER. It's wild to look back and watch her doing her first on-screen performances with George Clooney and not think about what lay ahead for both of them. 

Shia LaBeouf

Without a doubt, Shia LaBeouf has had one of the wildest careers of the 21st Century. There have been times when he was on top of the world, and others when he... definitely wasn't. One high point early in his career was of a kid in the emergency room of Cook County General in 2000, during Season 6. 

Milana Vayntrub

Milana Vayntrub eventually became one of the most recognizable actors in commercials as the AT&T pitchwoman. Long before that though, she was like a lot of child actors who got their start on ER. She appeared in three episodes, her first three credited roles, as a Russian girl, way back in Season 1. 

John Mahoney

Before scoring the role of a lifetime as Martin Crane on Fraiser, John Mahoney had been a steadily working actor going back to the '70s. After Frasier, he could pretty much write his own ticket. One role he chose to take was that of a self-professed "drag queen" whose long-time boyfriend was in rough shape in the hospital on ER in 2006, making a strong statement about gay marriage before many were brave enough to join him. 

Janel Moloney

One of the many great actresses who found early work in their career on ER was Janel Moloney. Moloney scored only a handful of roles between that and The West Wing, but boy was the West Wing lucky to have her - as was ER in its first season when she appeared in one episode. 

Amy Ryan

One of the most underrated characters in The Wire has to be Beadie Russell, played by Amy Ryan. About a decade before she joined The Wire in Season 2, she starred in a single episode of ER in the show's first season. She's been in many TV shows and movies since, including a beloved recurring role on The Office and in the underrated Netflix original Worth.

Rosemary Clooney

George Clooney isn't the only famous person in his family. His aunt is, of course, the inimitably Rosemary Clooney, who was one of the most beloved singers of her generation. She only had about a dozen acting credits on her impressive resume, but one was ER during the show's first season. What a great experience for her and her nephew. Her son, actor Miguel Ferrer, also appeared in an uncredited role in the series premiere of the show. 

Dan Hedaya

If you grew up in the '90s, Dan Hedaya was seemingly everywhere, but he's probably best remember by that generation as Cher Horowitz's angry but loving father in Clueless. On ER, he plays a lawyer with... questionable ethics, but a heart of gold. He appeared in four episodes over the length of the whole show. remembered

Warning: SPOILERS for Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One are in play. If you’re not up to speed on this latest mission, you’ve been warned. 

“The Net Ranger.” “Phineas Phreak.” Those aren’t nicknames you can earn easily, and as any Mission: Impossible fan knows, they both belong to someone who earned them with distinction: expert hacker Luther Stickell. Played by Ving Rhames with only the maximum levels of cool, this IMF agent is the only other player besides Tom Cruise to be present for the entire franchise. And yet, after seven movies, and with an eighth on the way, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One finally gave Luther a proper ‘big moment’ in the franchise. 

I couldn’t be happier about this development, as being a fan of these movies since day one has come with a healthy appreciation for Mr. Rhames’ return in each installment. If Ethan Hunt is the American James Bond, then Luther Stickell is undoubtedly his Q. Which makes the huge turning point in co-writer/director Christopher McQuarrie’s story for Dead Reckoning - Part One all the more exciting, as it’s come from someone who’s known Ethan the longest. 

Consider this point the last chance to bail out before spoilers, as I’ll be continuing on a dead reckoning of my own. From here on out, it’s time to talk about why Ving Rhames’ big Mission: Impossible 7 scene was so perfect, and why it was overdue.

Luther Stickell’s Big Mission: Impossible 7 Moment

After the shocking death of Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), the IMF crew that remains regroups to figure out their next move. With Gabriel (Esai Morales) still in the open, and doing the bidding of the rogue sentient AI known as “The Entity,” the objective at the heart of  Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One needs to be reexamined. 

Enter Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), who not only comforts newbie Grace (Hayley Atwell) in the wake of surviving her own brush with death, but also helps center his best friend in the world. Asking Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) what his “true objective” is, he reminds his IMF brother that killing The Entity is the mission.

With that objective firmly in place, Stickell gives Hunt the most crucial piece of advice to beat their algorithmic foe: Gabriel has to survive. With The Entity seemingly banking on outcomes that only result in one party dying, if Ethan spares Gabriel’s life, it would be a potential checkmate to this massive existential threat. 

The Mission Against The Entity Is Square In Luther’s Wheelhouse

So why is that scene described above such a big deal? Well, for starters, Mission: Impossible 7 has a plot that, quite frankly, is the most appropriate mission for Ving Rhames’ character to shine on. Yes, the loyal companionship of Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) does include a very similar skill set; but as proven during the airport caper that takes place in act 1 of Dead Reckoning - Part One, Luther is better equipped for this kind of scenario. 

The mission at hand is the Stickell sweet spot, as he possessed the programming acumen that executed “the Mount Everest of hacks” at the start of Ethan Hunt’s Mission: Impossible story. So outthinking a sentient algorithm, and going off the grid to create a solution it in time for Mission: Impossible 8, is the highest calling Luther Stickell could ever find. It’s all laid out in a scene that recalls that 1996 origin story in particular, back when Ethan and Luther first became friends. 

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One Reminded Me Just How Pure Luther And Ethan’s Friendship Is

If you revisit Mission: Impossible through your Paramount+ subscription, there’s one scene you should pay close attention to. It’s the moment right after Ethan Hunt successfully tricks Krieger (Jean Reno) into thinking he’s holding the actual NOC List disc.

Revealing to the audience, and Luther Stickell, that the disc Krieger was holding was the actual product, Ethan decides to trust the equally disavowed Luther with the goods. His reasoning was that if his new friend truly knew what he was doing, he wouldn’t have signed up.

When Ving Rhames swears to Tom Cruise that he "won't let the list get out," you really feel that promise being made. You also see one of the greatest friendships on the screen being forged, as Luther Stickell has been there for Ethan Hunt through every Mission: Impossible chapter (although he only cameoed in Ghost Protocol). He's always ready to help, and ever reverent of his friend, it’s a pure buddy system that never fails. It might just be one of the strongest threads to hold this entire saga together.

It’s Always A Good Time To Remind People How Good An Actor Ving Rhames Is

I can’t praise Mission: Impossible 7’s big Luther moment without praising the man himself. Whether it’s his appearances in these films, or other roles like Kenneth in the Dawn of the Dead remake and Cobra Bubbles in Disney’s Lilo and Stitch, Ving Rhames is a consummate performer. The dude crushes every time he comes out to play, always walking a crossroads between amusement, menace and authority. 

You can give Tom Cruise all the crazy speed gliding and motorcycle jumps in the world, and it wouldn’t mean anything if there weren’t true human stakes. The survival and trust of Luther Stickell is an unspoken objective in the Mission: Impossible canon, but without Mr. Rhames hitting the right notes as Luther Stickell, it’s not nearly as satisfying. That right there is probably why my Mission: Impossible movies ranking has the second film in dead last, as one of its crimes is providing us with the worst moment of Luther ever. 

Some have argued the case of why Mission: Impossible is the best action series still on the market. While that’s definitely up for debate, I’m not against the concept. That being said, it should also be put onto the table that thanks to the teamwork and friendship seen throughout the seven chapters so far, this is an action powerhouse that never skimps on the heart. A heart that Ving Rhames’ Luther Stickell very much keeps beating.

There have been a lot of great stop-motion movies released over the years like Coraline, James and the Giant Peach, and The Nightmare Before Christmas, to name only a few. Henry Selick, the director of those three movies, and several others, has a new animated film called Wendell & Wild that is now streaming on Netflix. The new animated movie looks, feels, and sounds a whole lot like his previous works thanks in part to its story, animation style, and the talented voice cast. Speaking of which…

If you have watched the movie, or at least plan on checking it out, there’s a good chance you are wondering where you’ve seen and heard the Wendell & Wild cast before. Well, no need to go digging through graves or summoning demons, because we have a breakdown of the stars and some of their biggest on-screen accomplishments prior to appearing in what looks like one of the most unique 2022 movies…

Keegan-Michael Key (Wendell)

Before we dive into Kat Elliot and the actress who is bringing the magically-inclined 13-year-old to life, let’s first talk about the two titular characters featured prominently in the film's trailer. The first of those characters, Wendell, is voiced by Keegan-Michael Key, one half of the team behind the Comedy Central sketch series Key & Peele.

Key has a great deal of experience as a voice actor that he brings to the Wendell & Wild cast, including multiple appearances in the Hotel Transylvania movies, roles in Disney productions like Toy Story 4, The Lion King (the 2019 remake), Pinocchio, and Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers, to name only a few. He’s also no stranger to Netflix movies as he appeared in Dolemite Is My Name, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, The Prom, and The Bubble in the past few years.

Jordan Peele (Wild)

Also voicing a prominent role is Jordan Peele, who made a name for himself in the comedy world with his longtime creative partner Keegan-Michael Key on sketch programs like Mad TV and then Key & Peele, among others. In the new movie, Peele provides the voice of Wild, the second demon brother who tries to make a deal with the film’s young heroine.

Though he has cut back on acting gigs the past few years to pursue behind-the-scenes roles with his incredible horror movies like the Academy Award-winning Get Out, Us, and Nope, Peele has a great number of live-action and voice performances to his name. There are titles like Keanu (which he co-wrote), Storks, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, and shows like Bob’s Burgers, Big Mouth, and Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, to name just a few.

Lyric Ross (Kat Elliot)

Providing the voice for Kat Elliot, the precocious 13-year-old girl at the center of Wendell & Wild’s story, is Lyric Ross, who has been a part of some of the biggest shows on broadcast TV the past few years, with more on the way.

Prior to landing a starring role in the new Netflix animated feature, Ross was cast as Deja Pearson on the long-running NBC drama series, This Is Us, first as a recurring character and then as one of the main figures in the final few seasons. Ross also appeared on Chicago Fire and Sirens in the years leading up to her first steady job. She is next to set to appear on Ironheart, though her exact role on the upcoming Marvel series has yet to be revealed

Angela Bassett (Sister Helley)

Taking on the role of Sister Helley, one of nuns at Kat’s school, is none other than Golden Globe winner Angela Bassett, who is no stranger to the world of voice-acting.

The list of Bassett’s best movies includes What’s Love Got to Do with It, Waiting to Exhale, Black Panther, Mission: Impossible — Fallout, and many, many more. In addition to all of those live-action roles, Bassett has lent her voice to a number of animated film projects over the past few decades, including the 2020 Pixar movie, Soul, Meet the Robinsons, Curious George 3: Back to the Jungle, and Our Friend, Martin. She’s also participated in animated TV series like BoJack Horseman, The Simpsons, and What If…?, in which she reprised the role of Ramonda, the Queen Mother of Wakanda. She’ll once again take on the role in the upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

James Hong (Father Bests)

The legendary James Hong shows up in Wendell & Wild as Father Bests, the priest at Kat’s school who is equally devoted to his students and keeping the institution up and running.

Throughout his career, which goes back to the mid-1950s, Hong has appeared in hundreds of films ranging from cult classics like Big Trouble in Little China and Blade Runner, to animated projects like Mulan, Jackie Chan Adventures, and the Kung Fu Panda movies and TV spin-offs. In the past few years, Hong has popped up in titles like Everything Everywhere All At Once, Turning Red, Star Wars: Visions, and much, much more.

Ving Rhames (Buffalo Belzer)

Ving Rhames, the voice of Arby’s who's been in dozens upon dozens of iconic movies, joins the cast as Buffalo Belzer, a prominent figure in the movie’s underworld.

Throughout his career, Rhames has been a staple of the Mission: Impossible film franchise, given commanding performances in movies like Pulp Fiction, Con-Air, Bringing out the Dead, Dave, and Don King: Only in America, which earned him a Golden Globe in 1998. Like much of the Wendell & Wild cast, Rhames has a great deal of experience in the realm of animation, with voice roles in Lilo & Stitch, The Proud Family, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, and several others.

Sam Zelaya (Raúl)

And then there is Sam Zelaya, who takes on the role of Raúl, an outcast at Kat’s school. Prior to landing a role in the new movie, Zelaya’s only acting credit was in the 2022 soap opera short film, Poppets.

This is just the main portion of the Wendell & Wild cast, as there are all sort of surprises that await in the stop-motion animation movie. 

There is a very exciting future ahead for the Mission: Impossible franchise. While fans are used to seeing a new installment from the blockbuster series every few years, writer/director Christopher McQuarrie has been cooking up an extreme treat for the next two chapters and has been filming them back-to-back. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 is set to blow our minds in the year 2023, and the direct sequel, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 2, will be coming out about 12 months later. Obviously there are a lot of reasons to be excited about the big sequel that is Mission: Impossible 8, and one of them is the fantastic ensemble cast that has been put together.

Featuring a mix of actors who both are and aren’t in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 2 has brought together a terrific group of stars, and we’ve assembled the list of confirmed names below for your perusal.

Tom Cruise

What, did you expect that Ethan Hunt would die in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1? While we don’t know the details of the plot of Mission: Impossible 7, we do know that the lead character will survive and be back for the sequel. Tom Cruise is one of only two actors who have appeared in every installment of this film franchise, the other being…

Ving Rhames

While Ving Rhames’ Luther Stickell only showed up for a cameo at the end of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, his prominent role in the franchise has been stable ever since – with key roles to play in Rogue Nation and Fallout. We don’t know what he’ll be getting up to in Dead Reckoning – Part 1, but we do know that Luther will be by Ethan Hunt’s side in the aftermath that is depicted in Part 2.

Henry Czerny

Mission: Impossible fans haven’t seen Eugene Kittridge since Brian De Palma’s franchise starter back in 1996, but he’s back in a big way now, set to play a key role in both halves of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning. Henry Czerny is back in the role decades after his original appearance. Since the first film in the Tom Cruise-led series, Czerny has been a part of some notable and popular movies, with two standouts being a part of the horror genre: Scott Derrickson’s The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s Ready Or Not. He is also part of the cast of Scream 6.

Simon Pegg

Having not been in the first two Mission: Impossible movies, Simon Pegg’s history with the franchise doesn’t go back quite as far as Tom Cruise’s and Ving Rhames’, but he has left a major impact on the films and has made Benji Dunn a fan favorite character. The mask loving tech wiz has been a part of Ethan Hunt’s adventures since Mission: Impossible III, and he will be back by the super spy’s side for both halves of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning.

Rebecca Ferguson

It used to be the case that the Mission: Impossible movies would rotate out its female leads – with Emmanuelle Béart, Thandiwe Newton, Maggie Q, and Paula Patton each only appearing in one movie, despite their characters surviving the blockbuster action. Rebecca Ferguson finally ended that streak following her debut in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. Following her stellar introduction, MI6 operative Ilsa Faust returned in Fallout, and there is every expectation that she will be a prominent figure in everything that plays out across both halves of the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning duology.

Vanessa Kirby

Alanna Mitsopolis a.k.a. The White Widow was introduced as a mysterious gray-area character in Mission: Impossible – Fallout – with the extra twist added that she is the daughter of Max, the arms dealer played by Vanessa Redgrave in the first movie. Vanessa Kirby, whose notable credits also include The Crown, Hobbs & Shaw, and Pieces Of A Woman, confirmed to Glamour in February 2020 that she was reprising her character in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1, and the expectation is that she will be in Part 2 as well.

Hayley Atwell

Of course, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 2’s cast isn’t wholly filled with returning stars, as there are plenty of fresh faces getting involved as well. Hayley Atwell is best known for her work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – having played Peggy Carter in the Captain America movies and starred in her own show, Agent Carter – and soon fans will get to see her as part of another big action-centric franchise. Her role in Part 2 has been confirmed by Deadline, and a post on the actor’s personal Instagram page suggests that she will be playing a character named Grace.

Esai Morales

Esai Morales is best known for his work on the small screen, with small screen credits including NYPD Blue, Criminal Minds, Ozark, and Chicago P.D., NCIS: Los Angeles, and Titans, but he’s getting some blockbuster experience on his resume as a part of both Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning movies. The role he is playing in the blockbusters originally belonged to Nicholas Hoult, but scheduling conflicts forced the Mad Max: Fury Road star to drop out of the project in May 2020, leading to Morales nabbing the role.

Shea Whigham

Shea Whigham has spent years establishing himself as one of the best characters actors in the business, and doing so has led him to be a part of some major franchises. He’s been a part of Fast & Furious, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Trek, and the MonsterVerse, and now he is a member of the Mission: Impossible family. The actor confirmed to Digital Spy in May 2022 that he is in both halves of Dead Reckoning, and that his character is “trying to track” Ethan Hunt.

Holt McCallany

While all of the actors mentioned above are going to in both parts of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Holt McCallany’s situation is a bit different due to the fact that he is exclusively in the second movie. His casting was reported in July 2022, and it’s been said that the Mindhunter star will be playing a part in a high government position. Specifically he will be playing the United States’ Secretary of Defense (a man named Bernstein).

Nick Offerman

Audiences primarily know Nick Offerman for his work in comedy – particularly for playing Ron Swanson on the hit NBC series Parks & Recreation – but he will be making a switch over to drama for the action/adventure that is featured in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 2. The actor’s part in the blockbuster was confirmed by Christopher McQuarrie on an episode of the Light The Fuse podcast in August.

Pom Klementieff

Based on what we’ve seen from Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1, Pom Klementieff is going to be playing a forced to be reckoned with in the film, and apparently the threat that she represents isn’t going to be limited to the action that transpires in that single movie. While the actor is also a part of the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (in which she is reprising her MCU role as Mantis), it has additionally been confirmed that she will be in the ensembles of both halves of Dead Reckoning.

Mark Gatiss

Mark Gatiss is another actor who is set to appear in both parts of Mission: Impossible’s developing epic. Gatiss’ role in Dead Reckoning Part 1 was announced at the same time that Rob Delaney, Charles Parnell, Indira Varma, and Cary Elwes joined the cast, but he is one of only two names in that group who is also going to be in Part 2. He said as much in an interview with Radio Times in September 2022, saying that shooting the blockbusters back-to-back is an “extraordinary experience.”

Charles Parnell

Charles Parnell is the other actor from the aforementioned group that will be in both Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 and Part 2. The character actor recently worked alongside Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick, and it’s not hard to believe that the experience led to Parnell being cast in the upcoming Mission: Impossible movies. In a now-deleted Tweet, Christopher McQuarrie shared an image of Parnell’s character in Part 2 alongside Mark Gatiss and…

Janet McTeer

Janet McTeer’s casting in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 2 at the same time as Nick Offerman’s, though it is unknown at this time what kind of role she will have in the blockbuster sequel. Like some of her co-stars, McTeer is best known for her work on the small screen, with credits on shows including Damages, Jessica Jones, and Ozark.

With all of these talented stars aboard, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 2 will arrive in theaters a little less than a year after its predecessor – specifically on June 28, 2024. That’s a long time from now, but there is plenty of entertainment on the way between now and then and you can learn about everything that’s coming out with our 2022 Move Release Calendar and our guide to the upcoming movies in 2023.

When it comes to zombie movies, there are so many films that fans can watch, from classics like Night of the Living Dead to newer tales like Warm Bodies. One of those films, Dawn of the Dead, a 2004 remake of the original George Romero 1978 classic, not only began Zack Snyder's career as a director, but established itself as another great addition to the zombie genre, becoming one of the best horror movies, in my opinion.

Of course Zack Snyder has done much more since his first ever zombie flick - including his latest hits like Zack Snyder’s Justice League and the Netflix original film, Army of the Dead. But, even so, there’s no denying Dawn of the Dead’s impact on zombie culture. But, since it’s been seventeen years since the film released, where exactly has the cast been? Like Sarah Polley? Or Ving Rhames and Ty Burrell? The Dawn of the Dead cast has been all over - here is what they are doing now.

Sarah Polley (Ana Clark)

As the lead in Dawn of the Dead, Ana Clark lost so much in just the first couple minutes of the classic horror film, but soon turned into a gun-wielding badass. Sarah Polley portrayed Ana in the film. She’s mainly stuck to television since then, with a couple of bigger films like Splice and The Secret Life of Words, and also had a role in the miniseries John Adams.

However, Polley has been a lot more active in the producing/writing/directing world. She directed the film Stories We Tell, and the web series, Hey Lady!, as well as an upcoming film titled Women Talking. She’s also produced the films A Better Man, Secret Path, and Alias Grace. I’m eager to see what the star of Dawn of the Dead might be bringing to the table next.

Ving Rhames (Kenneth Rhodes)

If you watched Dawn of the Dead, you had to like Kenneth. This no-nonsense cop who knew how to use a gun and had an attitude for days was the best type of survivor to be around. I can't imagine anyone besides the wonderful Ving Rhames playing him. Since his appearance in the zombie film, Rhames has been in a several films and TV shows, but his most notable role has been in the Mission Impossible series, playing IMF Agent Luther Stickell for all of the films, and is set to reprise the role in the two new Mission Impossible movies.

Ving Rhames also voiced Cobra Bubbles in the Lilo and Stitch films and television show, and has had several guest appearances on television. He had roles in the comedy-drama Gravity, as well as the medical TV series, Monday Mornings.

Jake Weber (Michael Shaunessy)

Michael in Dawn of the Dead was another great survivor that had a truly tragic end, but for the time he was in the film, he was one of the best members of the team. Jake Weber was the perfect guy to play Michael, and since his appearance in Dawn of the Dead, he’s been active in both film and TV.

His biggest film appearances have been in the action film White House Down, the drama Wetlands,and the war film Midway. He also appeared in the Angelina Jolie-led film, Those Who Wish Me Dead. In terms of television, Jake Weber had a series regular role on Medium for seven seasons, and multiple recurring roles, including the controversial series, 13 Reasons Why, the sci-fi series, Star Trek: Discovery, and the drama, Homeland, so there’s no denying that he’s been extremely busy since his zombie days.

Mekhi Phifer (Andre)

While Andre in Dawn of the Dead seemed like he had the street-smarts to survive, he ultimately met his demise after witnessing the death of his wife. However, that doesn’t mean that Mekhi Phifer, the man behind Andre, has had the same demise in his career. Quite the opposite, really.

For several years, Phifer was in the big screen young-adult dystopian series, Divergent, as Max. He was also in the science-fiction thriller film, Pandemic.

Moving into television, prior to his role in Dawn of the Dead, and after its premiere, Phifer starred in the medical series, ER from Seasons 8-14, playing Gregory Pratt. Mekhi Phifer has had guest roles and recurring parts on several popular shows, such as a guest spot on the comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm, a recurring role on Frequency, and a recurring role on Hulu's original coming-of-age series, Love, Victor.

Ty Burrell (Steve Markus)

Steve was someone that we all hated in Dawn of the Dead. I mean, how can you not? He was kind of the epitome of a jerk. Luckily, Ty Burrell is the complete opposite of that, and has had plenty of success since his role in the apocalypse film. His biggest so far has been portraying Phil Dunphy as a part of the Modern Family cast, for the entirety of its run, one he was nominated for several awards for.

However, besides his success in TV, Ty Burrell has done plenty of movies, like his roles in National Treasure 2, Marvel’s The Incredible Hulk, Pixar’s Finding Dory, and the animated film, Storks. Currently, he has a series regular role on the adult animated comedy, Duncanville. It’s almost strange to think that the same man who played Phil Dunphy also played Steve in Dawn of the Dead, but that’s what you call range.

Michael Kelly (C.J.)

I mean, C.J. was the literal worst until he wasn’t anymore - that spot was kind of taken over by Steve as the literal worst survivor in Dawn of the Dead. Michael Kelly, who played C.J. in the film, has moved into several different genres of film and television. In terms of film, he’s has roles in Changeling, Chronicle, DC's Man of Steel, the adventure movie Everest, and several others, and recently made an appearance in the Netflix original movie, Outside the Wire.

Kelly has also been active in TV. He had a role in miniseries Generation Kill, a minor recurring role in the HBO show The Sopranos, a main role in the Amazon original series, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, and a recent role in the political series, The Comey Rule. Hopefully we get to see more of him soon, considering how much he has done.

Kevin Zegers (Terry)

Terry was always the odd one out of the mall security guards in Dawn of the Dead, and because of this, he was a much nicer addition to the group with a bigger heart who actually cared for people, unlike his co-workers. Kevin Zegers played Terry, and has been active since his role.

He’s had a couple of bigger roles in movies, such as a part in the romantic drama, The Jane Austen Book Club, the fantasy The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, and the thriller, Nighthawks. Zegers also had a recurring role on the hit show, Gossip Girl, as well as a recurring role in the spinoff series, Fear the Walking Dead. Recently, he had on a main role in the crime drama, Rebel.

Lindy Booth (Nicole)

Okay, I’ll admit that at first, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Nicole because she seemed a bit wimpy, but we would all be her in Dawn of the Dead if our dog went out into a crowd of zombies. Lindy Booth portrayed Nicole in the film, and has done plenty since its premiere.

She’s had roles in the action film, Kick-Ass 2, the thriller Dark Honeymoon, and plenty more. She’s also had success in television, as well, including a main role on the dramas October Road and The Philanthropist, in the fantasy series, The Librarians, and a guest role in Grey’s Anatomy. Booth will soon be in an upcoming film, titled Butterscotch, so keep an eye out for her.

Jayne Eastwood (Norma)

Norma in Dawn of the Dead was my favorite character in the film. Not only was she a kick-ass driver, but she went out of her way to save people that she didn’t even know. Jayne Eastwood, who played Norma, has done plenty in Hollywood. She’s been in several films, such as the romantic comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding and its sequel in 2016. She also had a part in the 2007 musical Hairspray, as well as the Netflix original film, Work It.

Eastwood has also had success in television as well, with several guest, recurring and main roles in shows like the animated series, Ricky Sprocket: Showbiz Boy, the comedy, Little Mosque on the Prairie, the supernatural series, Haven, and recently, the web series, Hey Lady!, as mentioned before, with Sarah Polley. Soon, she will be in a new version of Home Alone, so who knows? We might get to see Jayne Eastwood swing around a gun again at some home intruders.

Boyd Banks (Tucker)

While his role wasn’t that big in Dawn of the Dead, Boyd Banks’ Tucker was still an essential part to the group for the time he was there. Banks hasn’t been super active in movies since Dawn of the Dead, instead focusing a lot of his time in television.

He’s had a guest role in Testees, as well as the comedy series, Star Falls. He’s also had a recurring role in Hotbox, a Candian sketch comedy series, and appeared in Little Mosque on the Prairie, as well. He’s also had a role in the series, Bajillionaires, and is going to be in the upcoming film, All My Puny Sorrows.

With all these upcoming horror films lately, I’m going to need to check to see if any of these awesome actors are going to show up in some. Whatever the case, Dawn of the Dead will continue to be one of my favorite zombie movies, and now, you at least get the chance to see where these actors have been for so long.

While Reservoir Dogs turned Quentin Tarantino into a hot, up-and-coming filmmaker, Pulp Fiction, his sophomore film, paved the way for the director to become one of the most adored (and controversial) storytellers in Hollywood. With its inventive non-linear structure, endlessly quotable lines, and a number of iconic performances from John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Christopher Walken, and Samuel L. Jackson, it's no wonder that the endlessly cool classic is one of the most beloved movies of all-time — let alone the '90s. Now that we're only a few short years away from its 30th anniversary, what's the Pulp Fiction cast working on now? Let's find out!

John Travolta (Vincent Vega)

As Vincent Vega, a cool, long-haired hitman, John Travolta is the protagonist (such as there is one) of 1994's acclaimed masterwork, Pulp Fiction. First rising to fame through Welcome Back, Kotter, John Travolta transitioned into stardom through his acclaimed Oscar-nominated performance in Saturday Night Fever, as well as his lead roles in Grease, Urban Cowboy, Blow Out, and the Look Who's Talking movies. Pulp Fiction's Oscar-nominated role rejuvenated the actor's fledgling career, resulting in him starring in Get Shorty (for which he won a Golden Globe), Face/Off, Primary Colors, Broken Arrow, and Wild Hogs. His other famous (and infamous) film credits include Battlefield Earth, Swordfish, Hairspray (2007), Old Dogs, The General's Daughter, The Punisher, From Paris With Love, The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009), Gotti, Bolt, and The Fanatic.

Additionally, on television, John Travolta won an Emmy for producing The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, where he also played Robert Shapiro. Most recently, Travolta starred in Quibi's Die Hart. The actor also played Santa Claus in a Capital One commercial. Currently, Travolta is filming Paradise City, which will also star Bruce Willis.

Samuel L. Jackson (Jules Winnfield)

In the role of Jules Winnfield, a self-righteous hitman working alongside Vincent Vega, Samuel L. Jackson became a household name playing the deuteragonist in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. He was Oscar-nominated for this foul-mouthed, star-making performance. He would later reunite with Quentin Tarantino with Jackie Brown, Django Unchained, and The Hateful Eight. His other film credits include Do the Right Thing, Jurassic Park, True Romance, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Shaft (2000), Goodfellas, Hard Eight, Coming to America, The Negotiator, Eve's Bayou, Snakes on a Plane, School Daze, and Unbreakable. Additionally, Jackson played Mace Windu in the Star Wars prequels and Nick Fury in the MCU. He also voices Frozone in The Incredibles movies.

Most recently, Samuel L. Jackson starred in Spiral: From the Book of Saw and The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard. He also reunited with John Travolta for a Capital One commercial. Next, the A-list actor reprises his role as Nick Fury in What If...? and Secret Invasion. Also, Jackson will be seen in The Protege and heard in Blazing Samurai.

Uma Thurman (Mia Wallace)

Playing the part of Mia Wallace, Marsellus Wallace's mysterious, drug-addled wife, Uma Thurman was the female lead in 1994's Pulp Fiction. Outside of this Oscar-nominated performance, Thurman starred in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill movies. She also starred in Dangerous Liaisons, Gattaca, The Truth About Cats & Dogs, Henry & June, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. Thurman's other notable film credits include Batman & Robin, Les Miserables (1998), The Avengers (1998), The House That Jack Built, Nymphomaniac, The Producers (2005), Paycheck, Sweet and Lowdown, and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. She also reunited with John Travolta for Be Cool.

Outside of film, Uma Thurman played main characters in NBC's The Slap and Netflix's Chambers. Her other TV credits include Imposters and Smash, the latter for which she was Emmy-nominated. She also won a Golden Globe for HBO's Hysterical Blindness. Most recently, Thurman played a supporting role in The War with Grandpa. Next, she'll be seen in Hollywood Stargirl. Currently, Thurman is filming Apple TV+'s Suspicion. She's also signed on to star in Tau Ceti Four.

Harvey Keitel (Winston Wolfe)

As Winston Wolfe, a professor cleaner who tidies up other people's messes, Harvey Keitel plays a sharp-dressed character in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. Prior to this performance, Keitel worked with Tarantino on Reservoir Dogs, which he co-produced. He also starred in Bad Lieutenant, Blue Collar, Mean Streets, The Piano, and Cop Land. Additionally, Keitel was Oscar-nominated for Bugsy. His other big film credits include Thelma & Louise, The Last Temptation of Christ, Taxi Driver, From Dusk 'Til Dawn, Red Dragon, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Youth, Sister Act, Clockers, Get Shorty, U-571, Little Nicky, Little Fockers, The Congress, National Treasure, Isle of Dogs, and The Irishman.

Additionally, on TV, Harvey Keitel starred in ABC's Life on Mars. He also appeared in N.Y.P.D., Kojak, Hogan's Heroes, Amazing Stories, Dark Shadows, and Inside Amy Schumer. Most recently, Keitel starred in Lansky and Blood on the Crown. Last year, the actor appeared in The Painted Bird and Fatima. Next, he'll be seen in Gandhi of the Month, The Baker, Unto the Sun, The Legitimate Wiseguy, and Live Fast, Die Laughing.

Tim Roth (Ringo/"Pumpkin")

In the role of Ringo, i.e. "Pumpkin," a small-time stick-up artist, Tim Roth plays a supporting antagonist in Pulp Fiction. Prior to this performance, Roth appeared in Reservoir Dogs. Later, the actor reunited with Quentin Tarantino with Four Rooms and The Hateful Eight. Most notably, Roth was Oscar-nominated for his supporting turn in Rob Roy. Additionally, his other film credits include Vincent & Theo, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, Gridlock'd, Everyone Says I Love You, Planet of the Apes (2001), The Incredible Hulk, Youth Without Youth, Hardcore Henry, Selma, Funny Games (2008), Invincible, The Musketeer, The Hit, and The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, & Her Lover.

Additionally, on television, Tim Roth starred in Fox's Lie to Me and Sky Atlantic's Tin Star. Outside of acting, Roth directed The War Zone. Most recently, the actor had a supporting role in The Misfits. He also stars in Bergman Island, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Next, Roth will be seen in The Jesuit. He'll also appear in Punch. Additionally, Roth reprises his role as Emil Blonsky/Abomination in Disney+'s She-Hulk.

Bruce Willis (Butch Coolidge)

Playing the part of Butch Coolidge, an over-the-hill boxer who agrees to lose a match for a bride from Marsellus Wallace, Bruce Willis was a protagonist in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. Following his two-time Emmy-nominated role in ABC's Moonlighting, Willis became an action superstar for his portrayal of John McClane in Die Hard, spanning a film franchise. Additionally, he's known for starring in 12 Monkeys, The Sixth Sense, The Fifth Element, Hudson Hawk, Sin City, Armageddon, The Whole Nine Yards, Tears of the Sun, Unbreakable, Looper, RED, and RED 2. Also, the A-list actor was seen in Moonrise Kingdom, Cop Out, The Expendables, The Last Boy Scout, Planet Terror, Four Rooms, The Siege, Surrogates, Four Room, and Glass, reuniting him with Samuel L. Jackson.

Most recently, Bruce Willis was seen in Cosmic Sin. Next, he'll appear in Out of Death, Midnight in the Switchgrass, Reactor, Apex, American Siege, Gasoline Alley, The Fortress, Soul Assassin, and A Day to Die. Currently, Willis is filming Paradise City. Also, the actor is signed on to appear in Killing Field, White Elephant, and Hair of the Dog.

Amanda Plummer (Yolanda/"Honey Bunny”)

As Yolanda, i.e. "Honey Bunny," Pumpkin's small-thief girlfriend, Amanda Plummer plays a supporting antagonist in 1994's Pulp Fiction. Most notably, Plummer won a Tony for her 1982 performance in Agnes of God. Furthermore, she was Tony-nominated for 1981's A Taste of Honey and 1987's Pygmalion. Her other notable film credits include The Fisher King, Joe Versus the Volcano, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, A Simple Wish, The Prophecy, Needful Things, The World According to Garp, Made in Heaven, Freejack, and So I Married an Axe Murder. Moreover, Plummer is heard in Hercules.

Additionally, on television, Amanda Plummer won an Emmy for her supporting turn in NBC's Miss Rose White. Furthermore, she won two additional Emmys for her guest performances in The Outer Limits and Law & Order: SVU. Plummer was also Emmy-nominated for L.A. Law. Most recently, the actress played a recurring role in Netflix's Ratched. She also appeared in Night Raiders, which recently premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival. Currently, Plummer is filming Kelly Reichardt's Showing Up.

Ving Rhames (Marsellus Wallace)

In the role of Marsellus Wallace, the boss of Vincent, Jules, and Butch, Ving Rhames takes on a powerful personality in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. Outside of this performance, Rhames is known for his recurring part in the Mission: Impossible movies — the only other actor besides Tom Cruise to appear in all six. Additionally, Ving Rhames is recognized for Bringing Out the Dead, Con Air, Entrapment, Out of Sight, Jacob's Ladder, Striptease, and Dawn of the Dead (2004). His other notable film credits include Baby Boy, Dave, The People Under the Stairs, Native Son, Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, Blood In Blood Out, Dark Blue, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, Piranha 3D, and The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard. Also, Rhames is the voice of Cobra Bubble in Lilo & Stitch.

Additionally, on television, Ving Rhames was Emmy-nominated for his title role in HBO's Don King: Only in America. The character actor also appeared in Kojak, The District, and ER. Next, Rhames will reprise his role as Luther Stickell in Mission: Impossible 7 and 8.

Rosanna Arquette (Jody)

Playing the part of Jody, Lance's wife, Rosanna Arquette has a minor role in 1994's Pulp Fiction. Away from this film, Arquette was Emmy-nominated for her work in NBC's The Executioner's Song. She also received a BAFTA nomination for her supporting turn in Desperately Seeking Susan. Her other notable film credits include After Hours, Crash (1996), The Big Blue, Buffalo '66, The Whole Nine Yards, Gone Fishin', The Wrong Man, Nobody's Fool, Silverado, New York Stories, and Nowhere to Run. Additionally, Arquette directed two documentaries, Searching For Debra Winger and All We Are Saying.

Furthermore, on TV, Rosanna Arquette starred in ABC's What About Brian. She also led Sideswiped and Shirley. Her other notable TV credits include Private Practice, Girls, Ray Donovan, Law & Order: SVU, Medium, Grey's Anatomy, Malcolm in the Middle, and The L Word. Most recently, Arquette had a recurring role in Netflix's Ratched. Coming up next, the actress is expected to appear in Aramingo Avenue, Not Born, and Futura Days. Additionally, Arquette will star in The Playboy Interview and The Velvet Gentlemen.

Christopher Walken (Captain Koons)

As Captain Koons, a Vietnam War veteran with a personal connection to Butch's past, Christopher Walken provides a memorable cameo in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. An acclaimed actor with over 100 film and TV credits to his name, Walken is best known for his Oscar-winning supporting turn in The Deer Hunter. Additionally, he was Oscar-nominated for Catch Me If You Can. His other notable film credits include Annie Hall, A View to a Kill, Batman Returns, The Dead Zone, Wedding Crashers, Click, Vendetta, Seven Psychopaths, Joe Dirt, and The Prophecy. Furthermore, Walken was seen or heard in The Jungle Book (2016), Antz, Irreplaceable You, Kangaroo Jack, The Stepford Wives (2004), Balls of Fury, Domino, The Rundown, Hairspray, and Blast from the Past. Also, he was at the center of Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice" music video.

Most recently, Christopher Walken starred in Percy Vs. Goliath. He also appeared in The Jesus Rolls, The War with Grandpa, and Wild Mountain Thyme. Next, Walken frontlines AppleTV+'s Severance and Amazon/BBC's The Offenders. He's also expected to return for Wedding Crashers 2, with Owen Wilson.

Maria de Medeiros (Fabienne)

In the role of Fabienne, Butch Coolidge's French girlfriend, Maria de Medeiros plays a secondary character in Pulp Fiction. A Portuguese actress-singer with over 100 acting credits to her name, Medeiros is best known for her work in Adao e Eva, Midsummer Madness, The Saddest Music in the World, The Forbidden Room, Chicken with Plums, Polygraph, Henry & June, My Life Without Me, and The Killer. Additionally, the actress wrote and directed A Prince's Death and wrote, directed, and starred in April Captains. She's also helmed Our Children, Welcome to Sao Paulo, Repare Bem, Je t'aime... moi non plus: Artistes et critiques, and several short films. Outside of film, Medeiros has four albums on her discography, including 2016's The Piano's Playing the Devil's Tune.

Most recently, Maria de Medeiros was seen in Moral Order and In the Country of Last Things. Additionally, this year, the actress appeared in Ordem Moral - A Minissérie — an extension of the film. Next, she will be heard in What Spring Does with the Cherry Trees.

You can stream Pulp Fiction on HBO Max.

The stars of Mission: Impossible 7 aren't shy when it comes to sharing behind-the-scenes looks at the latest installment in the highly regarded action franchise. Simon Pegg recently shared his hilarious morning routine while filming, some smack talk with Tom Cruise and some photos of himself and Rebecca Ferguson cuddling up with a shirtless Tom Cruise. Rebecca Ferguson, while hanging out on set, also can’t stop sharing behind-the-scenes photos.

Rebecca Ferguson’s character, Lisa Faust, has become a mainstay in the Mission: Impossible franchise since her debut in 2016's Rogue Nation. Being a part of the team means being together on set for months at a time and, luckily, she isn’t shy about sharing a look at what’s going on during their downtime on set. Here is Ferguson chilling out on set via her Instagram:

Rebecca Ferguson is kicking back, stress-free with coffee in hand, while Simon Pegg is apparently being drilled on something important in the background. With the massive amount of work that goes into making these movies, it's totally understandable that the actress would relish any kind of quiet time. Of course, Ferguson definitely isn't a loner when she's working on set. She also posted a selfie with her co-stars and fellow Team Hunt members Pegg and Ving Rhames:

With the delay of Mission: Impossible 7 to 2022, it’s nice to get these behind-the-scenes looks at what the cast is up to on set. There is a lot of repetition and downtime during movie production and having a team that's fine with having a good time probably makes the long hours in between takes easier to deal with. Rebecca Ferguson and Simon Pegg might be able to satiate Mission: Impossible fans until the eventual release of the seventh installment.

Mission: Impossible 7 is still adding new blood to its cast and teasing the return of Vanessa Kirby, who is one of the many competing for an Oscar this weekend. Despite the delay, it is still a movie many of us are willing to wait and see on the big screen. While they're certainly taking time to relax, Rebecca Ferguson and the Mission: Impossible team are working and ready to provide another genre-defining entry into the franchise.

Rebecca Ferguson is a commanding actor and screen presence, and since her introduction to the Mission Impossible movies, they only seem to be getting bigger and better. Ferguson has many big projects in the works outside of Mission: Impossible 7, including the highly anticipated adaption of Dune, coming later this year. To put it simply, Ferguson is on a roll and seems to be enjoying every minute of it.

Mission: Impossible 7 is currently slated to hit theaters on May 27, 2022.

Because Mission: Impossible 7 is shooting back-to-back with Mission: Impossible 8, Tom Cruise and his cohorts on the action franchise have been hard at work for longer than your standard production period. Principal photography kicked off back in September (a little over five months later than originally planned due to COVID-19 complications), and while there’s no indication yet when cameras will stop rolling, the cast at least still seems to still be getting along splendidly, as evidenced by a new photo featuring Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson and more.

Along with both directing and writing Mission: Impossible 7 and Mission: Impossible 8, Christopher McQuarrie has sharing photos on social media chronicling the production process. Here’s yet another example of McQuarrie giving the public a behind-the-scenes look, which Simon Pegg shared on his Instagram page:

No big deal, it's just Simon Pegg lifting a nonchalant Rebecca Ferguson into the air while Ving Rhames hangs out in the background with another person. It’s hard to tell what kind of scene the actors are taking a break from shooting in this photo, although judging by the set, I wouldn’t be shocked if we’re looking at another IMF safe house/base where the agents are either laying low or planning the next phase of their mission. Either way, at least we have photographic evidence of Pegg lifting up Ferguson, which is what all good costars should do with one another… although usually that’s done figuratively rather than literally.

Simon Pegg has been an integral player in the Mission: Impossible franchise since his character, Benji Dunn, debuted in Mission: Impossible III. So far we’ve watched Rebecca Ferguson crush it as Ilsa Faust in Rogue Nation and Fallout, and like Benji, she’s become a valued member of the core cast. Of course, Ving Rhames has them both beat, as he’s the only actor besides Tom Cruise to appear in all of the Mission: Impossible movies, although he only cameoed as Luther Stickell at the end of Ghost Protocol. The point being, at this stage of the Mission: Impossible game, it’d be weird if Pegg, Ferguson and Rhames weren’t involved in these next two installments.

Along with the aforementioned actors and Tom Cruise obviously being back as Ethan Hunt, Mission: Impossible 7’s other familiar faces include Vanessa Kirby’s Alanna Mitsopolis, Frederick Schmidt’s Zola Mitsopolis, Angela Bassett’s Erika Sloane and Henry Czerny’s Eugene Kittridge, the latter of whom hasn’t appeared since the first Mission: Impossible movie. As for the newcomers, we can look forward to Hayley Atwell, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham, Rob Delaney, Charles Parnell, Indira Virma, Mark Gatiss and Cary Elwes showing up. None of their roles have been officially identified yet, although Morales is confirmed to be playing the main villain.

Plot-wise, we’re still in the dark about what’s in store for Mission: Impossible 7 and Mission: Impossible 8, although one can logically assume their stories will be closely intertwined given how they’re being shot and most of the people appearing in the former returning in the latter. You can look forward to Mission: Impossible 7 arriving on November 19, and it’ll be made available on Paramount+ starting January 3, 2022. Mission: Impossible 8 will follow on November 4, 2022.

Tom Cruise turned 56 this summer, but you wouldn't really know it watching him run around on screen in the latest chapter of the Mission: Impossible franchise. The sequel is arguably the most action-packed and intense in the entire series, and much of that is because Cruise is a dedicated star willing to do a lot of his own dangerous stunts. It's pretty impressive to watch, but according to co-star Ving Rhames, he might want to consider slowing down:

Mission: Impossible - Fallout marks the sixth time that Ving Rhames has starred alongside Tom Cruise, the former playing Luther Stickell to the latter's Ethan Hunt since 1996, and apparently it was a perspective changing experience. It's certainly easy to appreciate what Cruise does, as the guy truly gives it his all, but after the very serious injury Cruise sustained on the set of the new movie, Rhames wonders, according to Empire, if maybe he should let someone sub in for him on the action front going forward.

Like he has done for the last few Mission: Impossible titles, Tom Cruise performed some insane stunts in the making of Mission: Impossible - Fallout - including a HALO jump and climbing up a cargo rope hanging from a flying helicopter - but it was during a relatively more casual rooftop leap that he got injured. Cruise shorted the jump and hit his leg against the side of a building, which resulted in it breaking. It caused production to be put on hold, and, as Ving Rhames mentioned, allowed Christopher McQuarrie to do some extra behind-the-scenes changes, but one can also see why Cruise's co-star is concerned. While the movie star limped away with a moderate injury this time, doing another, bigger stunt in his advancing age for a future project is increasingly more and more risky.

Right now we don't know what to expect when it comes to Mission: Impossible 7, but at the current rate it won't be coming out until around 2021 or 2022. By then Tom Cruise will be pushing up against 60 - and while he surely will be in great shape, it will certainly also be a time when he will have to consider Ving Rhames' advice. We'll just have to wait and see - and in the meantime, stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all the latest franchise updates.

Ving Rhames is known for his standout role as Luther in the Mission: Impossible films. As the only other actor besides Tom Cruise to appear in every installment of the series since the first movie debuted in 1996, Rhames is a beloved fixture to the franchise -- particularly as the one guy in the crew who tends to react appropriately to the crazy, death-defying, life-risking antics of Cruise's Ethan Hunt (even when Luther knows, after six movies, that Hunt will do whatever it takes to save his butt). Unfortunately, however, fame didn't prevent Rhames from receiving unwanted police attention in his home. As Ving Rhames recounted during promotional rounds for this past weekend's Mission: Impossible - Fallout, the actor was discriminated two years ago when his neighbors wrongfully believed he broke into his house, needlessly altering the police and involving him in a terrifying encounter with law enforcement. Here's how Ving Rhames explained his ordeal with the Santa Monica Police Department in 2016 on Sirius XM.

The recounted police incident, as reported by CBS Los Angeles, inspired the Santa Monica police department to initiate the "Get To Know Your Neighbor" campaign, which allows residents to meet their neighbors in the area and get to know them, as the name suggests. Many neighbors claimed they didn't know Ving Rhames lived at the house. This could possibly be related to the actor's tremendously busy work schedule, although those same neighbors told the news channel they weren't out-of-the-loop when it came to Owen Wilson's residency on their block.

Meanwhile, the Santa Monica Police Department responded to the situation by claiming their guns don't have lasers on them, and that it happened two years ago when dispatch "got calls from two separate households reporting on a black man breaking into a home." The Sargeant and four other Santa Monica officers responded to Ving Rhames' 2016 police encounter by saying the officers "recognized the resident," and that "the situation was quickly deescalated" with "no force occurring." Ving Rhames was not the first time Santa Monica residents have called the police on African Americans for entering their own home, and efforts like the aforementioned "Get To Know Your Neighbor" campaign will attempt to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

In the meantime, you can catch Ving Rhames in Mission: Impossible -- Fallout, which is now in theaters everywhere. Beyond his work in those action blockbusters, Rhames is a character actor with more than 100 credits to his name -- including memorable roles in other popular movies like Pulp Fiction and Bringing Out the Dead, so, if you are a movie buff at all, you should probably recognize him from somewhere.

Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible franchise is the fine wine of action series; it only gets better with age. It's been over two decades since we first saw Ethan Hunt drop down into the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, and each of the five Mission: Impossible films has brought something entirely new and endlessly exciting to the table. It doesn't matter if it's an awesome new stunt or a badass new character; each and every installment in this series has carved out a niche for itself and added to the overall Mission: Impossible mythos. On that note, our hopes are currently sky high that Mission: Impossible 6, now officially titled Mission: Impossible - Fallout, can recapture the excellent balance of style and substance when it finally hits theaters.

With that in mind, if you're anything like us, you've probably been searching high and low for any and all relevant bits of information related to this film. Although we don't currently know much about the upcoming sixth installment in the long-running spy series, we have gone through the recent news reports and compiled everything that we now know about the film. Let's start with the (unsurprisingly) action-packed first trailer!

Click Here to Buy Tickets for Mission: Impossible - Fallout on Fandango!

Damn. That looks...Awesome! Mission: Impossible - Fallout is shaping up to be one of the most compelling sequels in recent memory, so let's kick this list off with one of the most important aspects of any movie: its release date.

What Is The Mission: Impossible - Fallout Release Date?

In keeping with the Mission: Impossible franchise's lack of consistent continuity, the release windows between films has similarly never really made much sense. We sometimes get two Mission: Impossible movies within the span of a few years, and other times it can take the better part of a decade. Mission: Impossible 6 will keep its release window on the shorter side for this franchise, as the current release date for the film is slated for July 27, 2018 -- a mere three years after the release of the wildly popular Mission: Impossible -- Rogue Nation. The franchise is currently riding a hot streak of solid entries, so we will keep our fingers crossed that it can maintain this momentum for the foreseeable future.

Of course, maintaining this release date is largely dependent on one thing at this point: star Tom Cruise staying healthy. During production on Mission: Impossible 6 in mid-August 2017, Cruise broke his ankle while performing a stunt that required him to jump between buildings. While it was thought for a while that his injury would lead to the release date getting pushed back, that didn't happen at the time. Cruise was able to take several weeks off to heal, and director Christopher McQuarrie used the down time in filming to get to work on editing the movie so there would be less of that to do after production finally wraps.

Seven weeks after his injury, Cruise was back at work on the movie, and in January of 2018 he was already filming stunts again. So, what's the problem, you ask? Well, unfortunately, just a couple of days after he returned to stunt work, it appeared that Cruise may have actually injured himself again. Official word on another injury (or re-injury) hasn't come down yet, so it's still a rumor at this point, but if Cruise is hurt again, this might be the injury that leads to Mission: Impossible - Fallout needing to push back its release date. As of right now, with the production finally releasing a photo of one of the death-defying stunts Cruise took part in, it still seems to be on track to hit its July debut.

What Is The Mission: Impossible - Fallout Rating?

Although the Mission: Impossible franchise has changed and evolved considerably since the first installment in the franchise hit theaters back in 1996, the rating has remained consistent. Misson: Impossible has pretty much always been a franchise that has relied on the tried and true PG-13 rating, and we do not see that changing anytime soon. The rationale makes plenty of sense, as PG-13 allows the Mission: Impossible films to utilize quite a bit of brutality and violent content, while still casting a wide enough net to draw in the largest possible demographic for audiences.

Of course, it is worth noting that other franchises have started to become more and more willing to tinker and toy with the concept of an R-rated blockbuster over the course of the last few years. Movies like Logan and Deadpool have proven that major franchises can still be successful with a more restrictive rating, so it is not completely outside the realm of possibility to think that the Mission: Impossible franchise may one day opt for an R-rated adventure. We just don't think that is going to happen for Mission: Impossible - Fallout.

What Will Mission: Impossible - Fallout Be About?

At this point, no specific plot details for Mission: Impossible - Fallout have been revealed. The series maintains a very loose sense of continuity between films, so it's generally pretty difficult to tell where the franchise will go from one entry to the next. Ethan Hunt and his various teams have prevented nuclear winters, the release of deadly viruses, the funding of secret wars, and even taken down mysterious doomsday devices. Clearly, nothing is off the table for this franchise, so it's anyone's guess as to what type of MacGuffin they will chase down next.

However, with the release of the official title came a plot synopsis that does give us a lot more to go on. Apparently, Mission: Impossible - Fallout will involve a "race against time" after a "mission gone wrong," and director Christopher McQuarrie recently revealed that the subtitle has a dual meaning. Not only will the threat of nuclear terrorism be a focus of the sixth installment in the franchise, but Ethan will also be dealing with "the fallout of all his good intentions," with the plot being driven by "the end result of choices that Ethan Hunt has made in his life."

Who Is The Mission: Impossible 6 Director?

Mission: Impossible 6 is going to take the espionage franchise into uncharted territory with its particular choice for director. Chris McQuarrie (the man behind Mission: Impossible -- Rogue Nation) will step behind the camera for the sixth installment of the series, thus making him the first filmmaker to direct more than one Mission: Impossible film. McQuarrie is a longtime collaborator with Tom Cruise (having also worked on Jack Reacher, as well as The Mummy and Edge of Tomorrow) so it's pretty clear that these two have a very strong rapport and a very comfortable working relationship. Their recent projects have currently put them on a seriously impressive hot streak, so there's no reason not to assume that the sixth Mission: Impossible movie will continue that tradition.

Tom Cruise As Ethan Hunt

Throughout two decades, five directors, and a wide variety of stories, one thing has remained consistent within the Mission: Impossible franchise: Tom Cruise and his always reliable portrayal of super spy Ethan Hunt. Despite the fact that he's one of the biggest action stars in Hollywood (not to mention one of the last real "movie stars") Mission: Impossible is Cruise's only real franchise that he has regularly returned to over the course of his career. Sure, he has returned to the role of Jack Reacher for Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, but Ethan Hunt is the franchise role that Tom Cruise will always be known for.

That said, despite the consistency, we should note that Cruise's take on Ethan has changed to match the style of the director that he has worked under. In Brian De Palma's original Mission: Impossible he had an everyman quality to him, in John Woo's Mission: Impossible 2 he was a gun-toting action hero, in J.J. Abrams' Mission: Impossible 3 he was basically a superhero, and in Brad Bird's Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol he was more of a bumbling, comedic character. Under the guidance of Chris McQuarrie, Cruise seems to have consolidated all of those versions of Ethan into a single character, and as such our hope remains high that we will see the endlessly badass and equally charming Ethan from Rogue Nation in the next film.

Rebecca Ferguson As Isla Faust

I think it's safe to say that Mission: Impossible -- Rogue Nation did a lot of things right, but none of its strong creative decisions compares to the casting of Rebecca Ferguson as Isla Faust. Ferguson brought a quiet and deadly intensity to the femme fatale turned friendly agent, and the performance quickly turned her into a bonafide movie star. With that in mind, it makes absolutely perfect sense that Chris McQuarrie and Tom Cruise have tapped the actress to once again reprise the role of the badass female super spy in the upcoming sequel.

Of course, the exact way in which Rebecca Ferguson's Isla Faust will actually factor into the story for Mission: Impossible 6 remains to be seen. The character underwent a massive arc during the events of Mission: Impossible -- Rogue Nation, so it is relatively unclear exactly what the story will do with her in the upcoming sequel. With another female lead (who will be played by The Crown's Vanessa Kirby) on the horizon, it is possible that Ms. Faust might not survive the events of the film. We really hope that it will not come to that, but it can't be ruled out just yet.

Ving Rhames As Luther Stickell

Ethan Hunt never operates entirely on his own. Although he regularly goes into the field by himself, he always has someone in his ear to help him get through his missions alive. His most consistent partner has been Ving Rhames' Luther Stickell, and the stylish hacker is once again slated to return for yet another mission when M:I 6 finally debuts. We're sure he will bring his best Versace jacket and a fedora hat for the occasion.

It will be interesting to see how Luther Stickell factors into the plot of the film, because while he has appeared in every Mission: Impossible movie to date alongside Tom Cruise, the scale of his involvement has varied from movie to movie. In films like Rogue Nation and Mission: Impossible 3, he played a central role in the overarching plot. By contrast in Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol, his involvement in the story was little more than a glorified cameo. Luther is unquestionably one of the most fun aspects of the Mission: Impossible series, so our hope remains high that he will play a significant role in Ethan Hunt's brand new adventure.

Simon Pegg As Benji Dunn

Mission: Impossible 3 did a lot to correct course after the sub-par Mission: Impossible 2. One of the most important things that the third film did was bring Simon Pegg on board as Benji Dunn. Initially little more than a sarcastic tech guru, Benji has grown over the course of the last three films to become one of Ethan Hunt's most trusted partners -- he has arguably even spent more time on screen with Ethan than Luther has.

Benji is a fan-favorite character, so, luckily, his presence was officially confirmed at CinemaCon in early 2017. After all, after so many life or death experiences together, it's hard to imagine that Ethan would want to go anywhere without Benji by his side.

Jeremy Renner As William Brandt

For quite a while, Jeremy Renner's William Brandt was listed as "rumored" for the project on IMDB. Unfortunately, another casting reveal to come of out CinemaCon was that Renner would, more than likely, not be part of the cast of Mission: Impossible 6, seeing as how he wasn't listed as being among those who were on board for the movie. That said, considering the characters who are returning to the fold from previous films, it wouldn't be impossible (See what I did there?) for Brandt to make a small surprise return to help out Ethan on his latest mission.

One of the more interesting aspects of Jeremy Renner's character in the Mission: Impossible franchise is the way in which the series seems to have backpedaled from his original purpose. During the events of Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol, it seemed that the franchise was grooming Renner to eventually take Cruise's place as the headliner of the series. After all, this was back when Jeremy Renner appeared to be the next big action star. However, Brandt played a much smaller role in Mission: Impossible -- Rogue Nation, so as of right now it's really anyone's guess as to whether or not there's a clear vision for this character in the future of the series. And with the actor having been busy filming two Avengers films back to back in the past year, it would certainly make sense if he didn't show up in this edition of the franchise at all.

Vanessa Kirby

This is where we begin to dive into new territory when it comes to Mission: Impossible characters. Not much is currently known about who Vanessa Kirby will portray in the upcoming sixth installment of the Mission: Impossible series. The only real description of her character that has been provided is the fact that she will be somewhat reminiscent of Rebecca Ferguson's Isla Faust in the previous film. That's obviously not much to go by in terms of narrative or character motivation, but it serves as a solid indication that she will be able to kick ass and take names alongside Ethan. The Mission: Impossible series actually has a pretty strong track record when it comes to badass female action heroes, so we can't wait to see what The Crown star brings to the table for this film.

Henry Cavill

Next, we have the real life Superman himself. Henry Cavill is the most recent star added to Mission: Impossible 6, and we have to say that we think this particular casting choice is a stroke of genius. Although specific details regarding the exact nature of his character have not necessarily been revealed yet (impressive mustache notwithstanding), Cavill has proven himself quite capable in the spy genre with his work on Guy Ritchie's recent The Man From U.N.C.L.E adaptation. He was also at one point considered for the role of James Bond, so I think it's safe to say that he's been prepping to get involved in a major A-list espionage franchise for quite some time. Who knows? With William Brandt no longer the frontrunner to replace Ethan Hunt as the face of the Mission: Impossible series, it's entirely possible that the series could be grooming Cavill to take over for Cruise when he finally decides to retire -- if Cavill is playing one of the good guys, that is.

Other Casting

Oscar nominee Angela Bassett is joining the Mission: Impossible franchise for the first time with this film. The American Horror Story and 9-1-1 star will be playing the new, currently unnamed, director of the CIA. That role was previously filled by Alec Baldwin's Alan Hunley, but his character will now appear as the new IMF secretary in M:I 6. Meanwhile, Michelle Monaghan will reprise her role as Julia, and Sean Harris is back on board as bad guy Solomon Lane.

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains massive spoilers for the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. If you have not yet seen the film, please bookmark this page and return after your screening!

James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 introduces a number of exciting characters to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but certainly leading the pack is the group of aliens introduced at the very end of the film. While most audiences simply see cool cameos from actors like Ving Rhames and Michelle Yeoh, hardcore fans recognized that the blockbuster was introducing a special team from Marvel Comics: the original Guardians of the Galaxy.

While the team of Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Groot came together in the comics as the Guardians of the Galaxy during 2007's Annihilation Conquest, they weren't the first group to take on that title. Instead, the Guardians have existed in Marvel Comics since 1969 - albeit their adventures initially took place in another universe (Earth-691 instead of the typical Earth-616) and in the future (the year 3000). Like any comic book team, the roster changed a lot over the years, but James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy movies have now introduced us to seven key members: of the unit Stakar Ogord, Aleta, Charlie-27, Martinex, Mainframe, Krugarr, and Yondu.

It's been confirmed that the six newly-introduced characters will be playing a significant role in James Gunn's upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3... but there are still a lot of people who have no idea who they are. Fortunately, we are here to help, as you'll find detailed descriptions of the new characters, but also how it seems they will be adapted into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Stakar Ogord (Sylvester Stallone)

Of the characters we will be discussing in the article, Sylvester Stallone's Stakar Ogord a.k.a. Starhawk received easily the most screen time in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. In his sequences, we learn that he is a high-ranking officer with the Ravagers, who had a complicated history with Yondu. While they spent years fighting side by side after he saved Yondu from the Kree, they eventually parted ways when Yondu broke a key rule: no dealing in children. Sadly, Stakar couldn't forgive his old friend before his sacrificial death, but it was the loss that motivated the very important reunion we're discussing in this article.

As you can see in the image above, the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version of Starhawk doesn't quite match up with his comic book counterpart aesthetically beyond the level of allusion -- and it is yet to be determined how far other comparisons will go. In the comics he has powers that he shares with Aleta that come about as a result of them reanimating a dormant deity called the Hawk God, and it's unclear if that backstory will be included in the live-action adaptation. Given the liberties that James Gunn has taken with the source material before, we won't be surprised if the characters wind up being radically different, but we'll have to wait until we see more of Stakar Ogord on the big screen to determine just how close it winds up being.

Aleta (Michelle Yeoh)

Marvel entirely ignored the weird romantic undertones between the twins Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver when they were introduced in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, and they may have to do similar dodge work when it comes to developing the pair of Aleta and Stakar to the big screen. Their particular taboo is that they are adoptive brother and sister who wind up falling in love and getting married. That may be shaky ground for Disney folks to walk on... but what still may be viable is seeing the two heroes jointly access the powers of the Hawk God, merge, and become the incredibly powerful Starhawk.

Michelle Yeoh very recently joined another legendary sci-fi franchise when she signed on to play Captain Georgiou in the new Star Trek series, Star Trek: Discovery, but she is doubling down by also being a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We have high hopes that Yeoh's expanded role as Aleta in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will give her all kinds of excuses to kick ass, as she has a long filmography proving that she is really quite good at it.

Charlie-27 (Ving Rhames)

Charlie-27 is a human who was born on Jupiter -- genetically engineered to be incredibly strong in order to withstand the planet's immense gravity. Serving as part of the military, he was sent away as part of a six-month mission, but returned to his home to find the entire planet destroyed and all his fellow Jovians killed by alien invaders. It was while escaping from these aliens that Charlie-27 took a teleporting pod to Pluto and ran into Starhawk and Martinex -- a meeting that would form the core of what would be the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Because humans still haven't colonized Jupiter, it's hard to imagine that the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Charlie-27 will have the exact same background as his comic book counterpart (who, again, lived in the year 3000), but it wouldn't be altogether surprising to hear that he has a similar backstory. We know that he will be played by the always-awesome Ving Rhames, who can be seen in the film wearing what really is a fantastic, realistic adaptation of the character's familiar costume. Rhames joining the Marvel Universe means that he is now part of two of the biggest on-going blockbuster franchises, the other being Mission: Impossible.

Martinex (Michael Rosenbaum)

Hearing about Charlie-27's backstory will make the story of Martinex sound more than a little bit familiar. Rather than growing up on Jupiter, the crystalline hero originally hails from Pluto -- and like the other members of his race is genetically dispositioned to withstand the former planet's intense cold (he can also manipulate energy and project it from his hands) Rather than being a part of military, Martinex was educated in physics and engineering, but also like Charlie-27 was away when his entire race was eliminated.

Again, we can't say how much of this will actually make it into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but we did pick up on some details from his brief cameo in Jame Gunn's second blockbuster. He will be played by Michael Rosenbaum (famous for playing Lex Luthor on the television series Smallville), and it looks like he has a very close relationship with Stakar Ogord, serving as his Ravager first officer. While he gets more screen time in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 than most of the characters written about in this list, we still don't know much about him, but we're excited to learn more going into Vol. 3.

Mainframe (voiced by Miley Cyrus)

Lest you forget, the Avenger known as Vision might look kind of human, but he is 100% machine. One need no further proof of this than the version of the character from Earth-691- who, after many generations, eventually evolved into Mainframe. Featured as part of the Guardians of the Galaxy, the character functions as the operating system for an entire planet, even going as far as to control climate conditions. Expect a lot of this not to be included when we get to know Mainframe in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Given the group she appears alongside, Mainframe in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is clearly an old-school Ravager who used to go on intergalactic adventures with Stakar Ogord and Co. -- and we know that she will be voiced by singer/actress Miley Cyrus. Beyond her excitement that her team is back together, however, there is very little we actually know about how the character will be fully represented on the big screen and what her role will be as a full-fledged part of the classic Guardians. Hell, we don't even really know how she gets around at this point, considering she basically just looks like a talking helmet.

Krugarr

Of all the original Guardians of the Galaxy team members introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Krugarr was the only one who wasn't represented by a specific actor, as he remains an entirely CGI character for now. It makes sense given his red, serpent-esque appearance -- but what he lacks in that department he makes up for in the showcasing of his abilities.

During the post-credits sequence, we see Krugarr conjure a mandala with two thumbs up in a show of approval -- and if that gave you flashbacks to Doctor Strange, there's very good reason. In the comics, he encountered Dr. Stephen Strange at some point in the 22nd century and wound up becoming his apprentice, eventually replacing him as the Sorcerer Supreme (you'll notice him wearing the famed Cloak of Levitation in the panel above). Clearly the version that is being featured in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is also magically inclined, and it should be great to see both the sci-fi and fantasy worlds of the universe collide. One can only hope that there is an event at some point in the future of the franchise -- be it in Phase Four or beyond -- that Krugarr gets some on screen time with Benedict Cumberbatch, simply because that would make the hearts of every Marvel nerd in the world sing.

Tom Cruise doesn’t need your Marvel Cinematic Universes, your DC comics worlds, or your developing Ghostbusters galaxies. Ever since 1996, the Energizer bunny of action heroes has been suiting up as secret agent Ethan Hunt in his own super-powered action franchise, and he’s about to show the challengers how to do it right when his fifth Mission: Impossible movie opens in theaters this summer.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to dig into all of the information that we currently have on Mission: Impossible 5… a sequel that's now going by the name Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation. We’re sure that Tom Cruise is prepared to follow up the smash hit that was Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. But where are you going? Who are you fighting? And which former Impossible Missions Force members will be tagging along for the fun? Let’s lay out What We Know So Far about Mission: Impossible 5, starting with the teaser trailer:

And continuing on with:

Tom Cruise

Some day we may reach a point where Paramount tries to further the Mission: Impossible series without Tom Cruise in the lead… but that isn’t happening this summer. Cruise, 52, slips back into the role of renegade agent Ethan Hunt for the fifth time in nearly 20 years, and will attempt to follow up the action from 2011’s Ghost Protocol. A few of you might be wondering if Tom Cruise can pull off the requisite stunt work for a fifth Mission: Impossible movie now that he’s in his fifties. That likely means you didn’t see Edge of Tomorrow, where Cruise punished his unbreakable body for the benefit of a high-energy (and highly entertaining) sci-fi action comedy. Cruise is showing no signs of slowing down, and neither is the Mission: Impossible franchise, as a result.

The Release Date Shift

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation was supposed to be a Christmas gift to fans. Paramount had circled a December 25 release date, meaning Tom Cruise and his team had time to fine tune the anticipated sequel before delivery. Then, something happened. We’re not entirely sure if it was a decision to avoid J.J. Abrams’ massive Star Wars: The Force Awakens (smart choice), or a supreme confidence in the material, but in January, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation was moved up from December to July 31, where it would compete against Self/Less, Southpaw and a few summer tentpoles that were still holding on to business. Very few blockbusters will complain about having a summer release date. But I’m not sure how far along Mission: Impossible 5 was in production when that decision was made, and I’m guessing that the film’s old-school vibe means a lack of digital post-production work, suggesting that the editing portion of the prep can go faster than expected. Either way, for whatever reasons, we are getting Tom Cruise’s next Mission movie much sooner than anticipated.

The Director

The date shift put incredible pressure on the director of Mission: Impossible 5, Mr. Christopher McQuarrie, who is sitting behind the camera for his first Mission mission with this fifth installment. McQuarrie, thankfully, has a history with Tom Cruise. The filmmaker recently guided Cruise through the vastly underrated Jack Reacher, and has worked as a script doctor on multiple Cruise movies over the years. Basically, if there’s anyone who knows how to get the most out of TC, it’s McQuarrie. The interesting thing about the hire is how each Mission movie has shape-shifted to adopt the tones and techniques of the hired directors. Think how different John Woo’s Mission: Impossible II is from J.J. Abrams’ Mission: Impossible III, even though they used many of the same ingredients. Could McQuarries Mission mirror his previous films, Reacher and The Way of the Gun?

Jeremy Renner

At one point, it looked like Jeremy Renner was being brought in to the Mission: Impossible universe as a possible replacement for Tom Cruise. (Kind of the way that he entered the Bourne series as a replacement for Matt Damon.) But Cruise and Renner played off of each other so well that the Avengers: Age of Ultron star is now going to be a partner in crime for Ethan Hunt, according to reports. Renner was believed to have signed a three-picture deal to play Brandt opposite Cruise’s Hunt in the Mission series, with Ghost Protocol being his first stab. Does this mean that we can expect a sixth Mission movie in a few years? Probably, and it might even have a beefier role for Renner if this sequel develops as we expect. Yet, even if it doesn’t, Renner has a little something known as the MCU to fall back on. Lucky guy.

Sean Harris

The Mission: Impossible movies have been hit and miss when it comes to their villains. Truthfully, the only nemesis who stands out in my memory is Philip Seymour Hoffman’s baddie from J.J Abrams’ Mission: Impossible III… and I’m sure that’s only because of the forcefully maniacal way that the late actor decided to play him. Well, Prometheus co-star Sean Harris will try and reverse the trend by playing the main threat in Mission: Impossible 5. His goals, unfortunately, are being kept under wraps for the time being, though they seem to have something to do with an "anti-MIF" known as the Rogue Nation. The full trailer explains a little bit more about Tom Cruise’s next adventure – and, by connection, Sean Harris’ role – yet right now, the bulk of Mission: Impossible 5 is shrouded in mystery.

Rebecca Ferguson

Much like James Bond, his "colleague" from across the pond, Ethan Hunt often has a lovely lady or two at his side during lethal missions, and Mission: Impossible 5 won’t be any different. Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie lobbied for multiple actresses – allegedly offering Jessica Chastain a role – before going ahead with the beautiful Rebecca Ferguson for the lead female role in the next Impossible thriller. Who, you ask? Fair question. Ferguson is best known for the BBC series The White Queen, and starred alongside Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in Brett Ratner’s Hercules. Again, we’re not entirely sure what her role will be, but she’ll follow in the footsteps of former Mission women like Thandie Newton, Michelle Monaghan and Paula Patton, who will not be back for this latest adventure.

Simon Pegg

When it comes to the Mission: Impossible movies, Tom Cruise has a gaggle of usual suspects who tend to tag along (and yes, that is a Christopher McQuarrie pun). Simon Pegg was added to the IMF team in 2006’s Mission: Impossible III, and has been a good luck charm ever since. Pegg’s character, Benji Dunn, started as a desk jockey, but slowly has been gaining access to the field. And during a recent Twitter Q-and-A, McQuarrie specified that this time out, Benji most certainly will be getting his hands "plenty dirty." We can’t wait to find out how!

Ving Rhames

If Simon Pegg is returning, you better bet your ass that there’s room for Ving Rhames in the script, as well. Rhames has been Tom Cruise’s one, true sidekick through the duration of the Mission: Impossible run, standing out as the only cast member to appear in all five Mission movies since 1996. His character, Luther Stickell, doesn’t always get the most screen time. But he’s a calming factor to Cruise’s energetic Ethan Hunt, and Luther’s know-how in the field has kept the IMF team alive on more occasions than we can count. Also, the Mission movies give Ving Rhames a chance to show off his dry sense of humor, something that other filmmakers refuse to tap in to, for whatever terrible reasons. We’re thrilled that Rhames is back for Mission: Impossible 5, in whatever fashion.

Alec Baldwin

From what we have been able to determine, Ethan Hunt’s exploits will put him in the path of the CIA this time out, and Alec Baldwin has been cast as the head of the U.S. government’s most covert (and shady) branch. Put that coffee down, though, because simply by casting Baldwin, you have opened the door to suggestions that he’s either a double agent or a mole buried deep behind enemy lines to surprise Ethan Hunt at the most inopportune time. Because you don’t cast someone as commanding as Baldwin and then let him wallow behind a desk for one or two scenes of exposition. You get him out in the field. You have him pulling Sean Harris’ strings. You get him in the muck! Or not.

The Exotic Locations

How do you top the Burj Khalifa and the surrounding deserts of Dubai? Well, you don’t, and Christopher McQuarrie has said that no one went in to Mission: Impossible 5 looking to trump Ghost Protocol. Instead, they went where the story took them, and in this case, that meant London (possibly in the Parliament building), as well as Morocco and Vienna, Austria… according to IMDB. In films past, the Mission movies have made Moscow, Budapest, Prague, Sydney, and Monument Valley, Utah look exotic and sexy on screen. We can’t wait to see what McQuarrie has cooked up.

The Stunts

Again, how do you top the scaling of the Burj Khalifa from Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol? Again, you don’t. But Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise are going to try and stage a few elaborate and memorable stunt sequences, which already have been reported on. Back in November, onlookers photographed Cruise hanging on to the side of an Airbus A400M aircraft being flown 5,000 feet above the English Countryside. The sequence concludes the short teaser clip. The UK Daily Mail also caught Cruise and what looked to be co-star Rebecca Ferguson jumping from the top of the Vienna Opera House in Austria. If there’s one thing we can count on from one Mission movie to the next, it’s that the stunt sequences will be eye-popping… and now that Mission: Impossible 5 has a summer release, I’m thinking they will raise the bar even higher for what the series usually delivers.

The Ending

Everything we’d heard about Mission: Impossible 5 suggested that the shoot was going smoothly. And that still might be the case. But a recent ripple suggested that alterations had to be made to the film’s ending, and that reshoots were occurring months before the film was due to hit theaters. During that aforementioned Q-and-A, Christopher McQuarrie did what he could to set the record straight, but admitted that it would take more than 140 characters to explain his process. I’m confident everything will work out for McQuarrie and Mission: Impossible 5, but I also believe that the director and his crew wish their sequel still had a December 2015 release date, because there’s nothing more valuable during the post-production process than time.

Believe it or not, it was a full 18 years ago that the big screen Mission: Impossible franchise got underway. It was all the way back in 1996 that director Brian De Palma first introduced us Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt and Ving Rhames' Luther Stickell, and the characters have been come back again and again in the years since. And while Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol kind of shortchanged us on the Ethan/Luther relationship, the good news is that problem is going to be repaired in Christopher McQuarrie's upcoming Mission: Impossible 5, as previewed in the special Tweet below.

That photo, courtesy of McQuarrie's personal Twitter account, is our first official look at the main cast of Mission: Impossible 5 and shows that Simon Pegg's Benji Dunn and Jeremy Renner's William Brandt will be joining Ethan and Luther in the battle against evil terrorists who wish to spread chaos and destruction around the globe. It's so great to see Cruise and Rhames back together side-by-side (okay, not literally), that this feels like the perfect opportunity to look back at their work together through the years.

First we are going to travel back to the first Mission: Impossible all the way back in 1996 - a time when the internet wasn't seen as a database for high-res movie stills, meaning that it's extremely difficult to find a quality still from films of that era. But just because we had to stitch together the below image doesn't mean that our memories of Hunt and Stickell's time together are any less sharp, as we still fondly remember their adventure trying to clear their names and find the mole inside the Impossible Missions Force.

Our memories of John Woo's Mission: Impossible II are a little less fond, as the movie is seen by just about everybody as being the low-point in the franchise. For as many bad moves as the movie made, however, at least it had the good sense to recognize that awesome chemistry between Cruise and Rhames in the first movie and bring them back as the only recurring characters.

Like its predecessor, J.J. Abrams' Mission: Impossible III also almost completely ignored all continuity established in the earlier Mission: Impossible films, but, again, the pattern held that both Cruise and Rhames would be the only ones to return. Of course, this was also the sequel that introduced us to the aforementioned Benji Dunn, who is pictured with the duo below:

Finally, there's Brad Bird's Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol, which is actually pretty much the opposite of Mission: Impossible II - it's the best movie in the franchise, but unfortunately it's also the one that features the least amount of Ving Rhames. Watching the film for the first time I was actually worried that he wouldn't show up and that he would disappear from the series forever (like so many characters before him), but thankfully the final scene made sure everything is still right in the universe.

In case you couldn't tell, Mission: Impossible 5 is now in production, though I must say that I'm upset we don't see Paula Patton's Jane Carter pictured in the Tweet above. Hopefully she's just going to be joining the boys at a later date and isn't actually being written out completely. We'll be sure to have more about the film for you in the coming weeks, and you'll be able to see the movie when it arrives in theaters Christmas Day 2015.

While Tom Cruise is certainly the true headliner of the Mission: Impossible franchise, he's not the only recurring star. He only had a cameo appearance at the end of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, but Ving Rhames is the only actor other than Cruise to appear in all four of the series' titles. We had very little doubt that he wouldn't be getting the call to return for the in-development Mission: Impossible 5, but now it seems the deal is officially sealed.

If Mission: Impossible 5 director Christopher McQuarrie's official Twitter feed can be considered a reliable source (I think it's safe), then it seems that Ving Rhames has officially come aboard for the sequel:

In the Mission: Impossible movies, Rhames is known for playing Luther Stickell, an IMF agent who works alongside Crusie's Ethan Hunt to help stop terrorists and global disasters. He's a particularly skilled hacker, which is typically how he is best utilized within a unit

Looking at the "cc's," the social media message also further confirms two more actors who will coming back to the Mission: Impossible series after previous tours of duty. Jeremy Renner's highly-skilled yet extremely cautious William Brandt is set to come back after the events of Ghost Protocol, and Simon Pegg will be back to play Benji Dunn a third time, first starring in Mission: Impossible III. It will be interesting to see how Mission: Impossible 5 handles the presence of both Luther and Benji, as the characters having overlapping skill sets when it comes to using computers. It could wind up creating a fun little conflict - provided that both actors are actually playing full supporting roles in the sequel and one isn't just being pinned to the sidelines.

Exciting as it is that Cruise, Rhames, Renner and Pegg are all coming back, there is still an important IMF agent missing: Paula Patton's Jane Carter. The end of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol suggested she would be around for another call of duty, and the actress has her own personal Twitter (albeit not a very active one), so why is she not listed here with the boys? She was a great presence in the last movie, and it would be a true shame for her to be the only one of the main stars not to come back.

Mission: Impossible 5 is still in pre-production, with a script written by Iron Man 3 co-writer Drew Pearce, and Paramount Pictures currently has the film dated to be released on December 25, 2015. It's been reported that actress Rebecca Ferguson has signed on in a key role, and Alec Baldwin may be coming aboard as well.

With a title like Piranha 3DD audiences expect a heaping dose of gore with plenty of T&A, and the latest trailer for this feeding frenzy flick doesn't disappoint. There are loads of leering close-ups of a bevy of bikini-clad beauties, plus the promise of unrepentant havoc. But that's not all! Punching up the darkly comic element of this freaky fish tale are appearances from Baywatch's David Hasselhoff playing a snide parody of himself, Anchorman's David Koechner as a horn-dog water park operator, the often unhinged Gary Busey, and the befuddling return of Paul Scheer, who mysteriously vanished half-way through the last movie, and Ving Rhames, who lost his legs in a most horrifying— but badass--fashion. Check out all this madness now, courtesy of Shock Till You Drop:

Directed by John Gulager, the twisted mind who helmed the Feast trilogy, Piranha 3DD takes the terror closer to home by having the flesh-craving fish from the Alexandre Aja's Piranha leaving the lake behind to storm the town's waterlines. Not only do these bloodthirsty piranhas invade a popular, stripper-stuffed water park, but they also venture into people's bathtubs, leading to a vagina dentata setup that's sure to terrify teens for decades to come. Of course, the premise is preposterous, but who cares? Gulager looks like he's bringing a lot of enthusiasm to this wholly insane feature, making it seem far more fun than Aja's misanthropic entry into the franchise. With an irreverent attitude, elements of body horror, cheeky allusions and bits of biting comedy, Gulager looks to have created a monster movie that's sure to be bizarre but could also be brilliant—in a B-movie kind of way.

Piranha 3DD is coming soon.

First-time feature director Trevor White has rounded up a strong cast for his debut Jamesy Boy. THR reveals Mary-Louise Parker, Ving Rhames, and James Woods have signed on, which speaks well for the script, penned by White and Lane Shadgett. Based on the true story of James Burns, Jamesy Boy follows the suburban teen's trajectory from small town Colorado gangs to a maximum security prison packed with hardened criminals. In this hostile surrounding Burns unexpectedly discovers a kinship with a convicted murderer, who ultimately becomes a friend and mentor to the young man, spurring him to positive personal change.

Rhames is set to play the murderer turned mentor, with Woods portraying a detention center authority figure and Parker playing the boy's mother. But who will be Jamesy Boy? That weighty role has been awarded to newcomer Spencer Lofranco, who will be making his screen debut with this film. While that's a lot of responsibility and pressure to put on an untested actor, White and his producers at least had the foresight to surround Lofranco with seriously skilled performers, who will urge him to up his game. Plus, this talented trio is sure to nail their respective roles, as these character types are well within their comfort zones.

Rhames has practically forged a career out of creating gruff yet lovable characters, which hit a self-parodying point with his sneering social worker Cobra Bubbles in Lilo & Stitch. Woods is essentially the go-to guy for stern authority figure roles, and Parker has just about perfected her troubled mom shtick after eight seasons of Weeds. So while these actors could well play with what's expected of them, they are sure to deliver, which relieves Lofranco just a bit, but only just.

Jamesy Boy will shoot next month in Baltimore.

I unapologetically love Piranha 3D. In fact, my roommate and I saw it in theaters twice, then made our girlfriends watch it and repeatedly high-fived every time they turned away in disgust. It was an awesome bonding experience. Needless to say, we’re pumped for the next one, but with the majority of the cast, dead, assumed dead or unwilling to go anywhere near the sequel, many fans are a bit apprehensive about whether the next installment will approach the B-movie awesomeness of the original. Rest easy, fellow man-eating prehistoric creature fans.

Cinema Blend’s own Kelly West spent time with Piranha 3D star Paul Scheer earlier today at Comic Con and practically attacked him for answers. He played coy at first, but after some wild guesses at the fate of co-star Ving Rhames’ character, he confirmed one of her stabs in the dark was spot on. The badass, last seen frantically killing piranhas with a boat motor, has survived, but he’s got battle scars to prove it.

I wish there was a keyboard symbol that got across a sigh of relief. There is no reason in hell why Ving Rhames’ character and Paul Scheer’s character would end up at a waterpark on the same day as another piranha attack. That’s why this is so damn great. There are certain rules every film needs to follow based on genre and overall goals. The whole point of Piranha 3DD is to pack as many bloody, gory, shit-eating, offending, uncomfortable, salacious and nudity-filled moments into an hour and a half. A legless Ving Rhames encountering his arch nemesis for a second time in some rundown family fun hole is an awesome start.

Piranha 3DD opens this November. With a buxom title like that, how could you stay away?

Val Kilmer and Ving Rhames have agreed to star in the indie thriller Seven Below for director Kevin Carraway, Variety reports.

The two actors will be joined by Luke Goss and Rebecca De Costa, the trade adds, though given the numerical nature of the title, I’m wondering if three more actors will be cast before the production gets underway. As soon as we saw Kilmer's name, we prayed for a MacGruber sequel (that has to happen). Instead, Lawrence Smith’s screenplay for Seven Below reportedly follows a group of strangers who are caught in a massive storm and must take refuge in an isolated house located deep in the woods. Variety calls the home “ghostly,” as if you were really shocked to hear that.

Carraway served as a production coordinator on Damon Wayans’ long-running sitcom My Wife and Kids. His directorial credits include 2009’s The Fear Chamber, about an L.A. detective (Rhett Giles) who uses his hallucinatory “second sight” to track a serial killer who harvests his victims organs. The film has no rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

As for Smith, I’m hoping he takes his narrative cues from Agatha Christie, whose And Then There Were None created palpable suspense as strangers were isolated and eventually picked off one by one. So many films were inspired by Christie’s story over the years (the most recent I can recall was Identity with Amanda Peet and John Cusack). With luck, Kilmer and Rhames will contribute to a moody suspense-thriller in Seven Below, because the alternative is a routine slasher film in the woods, and I don’t think too many of us want another one of those.

There’ve been rumors, for almost as long as I can remember, about how difficult Val Kilmer is to work with. It’s hard not to believe them, when you look at his filmography. The man is without question one of the best actors in Hollywood, and not so long ago was also a top drawing leading man. Yet his most noteworthy roles in the past five years were as a villain in MacGruber and as the voice of K.I.T.T. on NBC’s failed Knight Rider reboot. He did have a nice supporting part in Bad Lieutenant, but no one seemed to notice. That’s depressing.

It’s not that Kilmer isn’t working, he does three or four movies a year, they’re just terrible direct to DVD throwaways or easily ignored, low-budget leftovers. Val Kilmer may be difficult to work with, I don’t know I haven’t even met the man, but to me he seems like he’s worth the effort. Maybe this will be his first step on the road back to respectability, because What’s Playing says he’s doing a thriller called Seven Below Zero.

It’s not a Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang sequel, which is really what I’d rather see him doing, but it is described as a “sexy horror movie” which is a step up from the usual “awful slasher movie” he’s seemed headed for. Kilmer’s 52 and not exactly a sex symbol anymore, but he’s such a good actor I think he can still work it.

The bad news is thatSeven Below Zero co-stars one of the kids from Twilight (Charlie Bewly) and Ving Rhames who, for the most part, finds his career in much the same place as Kilmer. Except at least Ving Rhames did Piranha 3D, a movie which a great many people found to be pretty cool. Still, Rhames’ recent filmography isn’t much better than Kilmer’s and his presence may indicate that this isn’t so much a step up for Kilmer as a lateral move. Here’s hoping that’s not true. You’ll always be my Huckleberry, Gay Perry.

Whether it's because we're attached to them after years of watching them grow up or because we don't really want to believe the years at Hogwarts are over, it's been weird watching stars of the Harry Potter franchise move on to other projects-- and with a few exceptions, they haven't had much success. With the first of the Deathly Hallows installments on its way this fall, all of the Gryffindors are lining up what's next-- and now it's time for a Slytherin to get in on it too.

Tom Felton, who has played the villainous but misunderstood Draco Malfoy since he was 14 years old, is apparently in negotiations to join From the Rough, an indie drama about golf, of all things. According to THR Taraji P. Henson is already on board to star in the film based on the life of Catana Starks, who became the first female head coach of an NCAA Division 1 men's team when she joined as the golf coach at Tennessee State University in 1986. Ving Rhames and Henry Simmons have also signed on to star.

Don't worry-- Felton hasn't been cast unconvincingly as a Tennessee golf player, but as a "British golf hustler" recruited for the team. Simmons will be playing the director of the athletic department who clashes with Henson's character (renamed Cassandra Turner presumably because details have been changed from reality), while Rhames plays the campus maintenance man. Pierre Bagley is producing and directing the script by Michael A. Critelli, with production set to start in October in New Orleans.

Ving Rhames showed up on Lopez Tonight, to promote Piranha 3D and let everyone know he’s black (his skin color seems to get worked into nearly every sentence), and while he was there he dropped the news that he’ll be back for the next Mission: Impossible. Rhames says rather simply, “I’m about to do Mission: Impossible 4.

He showed up in all three previous movies as Ethan Hunt’s tech expert Luther, every spy has to have one. No surprise that he’ll return. Interestingly during the interview he revealed that in the original Mission: Impossible Luther was supposed to be killed off in the first six minutes with Emilio Estevez and the rest of Ethan Hunt’s slain, original M:I team. The way Rhames tells it, he talked Depalma into letting him live by complaining that the black guy always gets killed first. I’m not entirely sure I buy that.

You can watch the entire Lopez Tonight interview with Rhames, in which he also reveals that Stanley Tucci of all people, is responsible for his name.

I doubt anyone out there is expecting Piranha 3D to be the next Jaws, but that doesn’t mean paying some homage to the classic won’t be warmly welcomed. In fact, not only does this new poster image bear a resemblance to Jaws, but to the original Piranha artwork as well. As compared to the domestic poster, this French one-sheet (via Shock Till You Drop) actually suggests there are folks out there who are looking for something more than bloodthirsty Piranhas popping out at you in 3D.

While the studio is banking on the extra dimension to earn some big bucks, it’s this more thoughtful poster that’s enticing me to catch Piranha 3D when it hits theaters on August 27th, not the gimmick-selling domestic version. I better stop complaining and just deal with it because after the critical atrocity The Last Airbender earned an impressive $53 million at the box office, posters using 3D to sell a movie rather than doing so through more creative and visually pleasing images like these will be coming our way in massive doses. Take in the glory of this one while you can.