Jeremy Renner says Mission: Impossible character twist inspired decision to leave franchise

‘The Avengers’ and ‘Hawkeye’ star played William Brandt in two films of the action franchise

Jeremy Renner has shared some further insight into his exit from the Mission: Impossible franchise, revealing that he disagreed with plans to kill his character.

The Hawkeye star featured in two of the much-loved action films: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol in 2011, and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation four years later.

However, Renner did not return for the two Tom Cruise-led offerings that followed in 2018 (Fallout) and 2023 (Dead Reckoning), with his character William Brandt having retired from the spy force at the end of Rogue Nation.

During an appearance on the most recent edition of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the 53-year-old Marvel star said that part of his choice not to return for a third film was due to plans for his agent to be killed off after only shooting for a week.

“I remember they tried to bring me [overseas] for a week so they could kill my character, and I was like, ‘No, you don’t get to do that. You’re not going to drag me over there and just kill my character,’ like get out of here!” Renner told host Josh Horowitz.

“If you’re going to do this and you’re going to use my character, you’re going to do it right.”

With a laugh, he added that he told the director, Christopher McQuarrie: “Dude, you’re not going to do this to me like that; you’re not going to do me wrong.”

This follows a recent interview with Collider in which Renner revealed that his choice to leave the franchise was also motivated by wanting to focus on being an active father to his daughter, Ava.

Jeremy Renner (Getty Images for Paramount+)

“Yeah. I had to leave that,” Renner explained. “I was supposed to do more with them.

“I love those guys. I love Tom so much. We had so much fun, and I love that character a lot. It requires a lot of time away. It’s all in London. I had to go be a dad. It just wasn’t gonna work out then.”

Renner shares Ava, 11, with his ex-wife, Canadian model Sonni Pacheco, and has spoken of his love and appreciation for his daughter on several occasions.

However, Renner admitted that he would “jump” at the chance to return to the film now that Ava is older.

“Maybe now that my daughter is older that could happen,” Renner continued.

Jeremy Renner (Getty Images for Disney+)

“I’d always jump into a Mission: Impossible anytime and back into Brandt. It’s great.”

A return to the franchise is possible since his character is still alive in the film’s universe; however, there is no confirmation on whether he will be back on screens as Brandt. The eighth Mission: Impossible film will be released in 2025.

Renner was involved in a life-threatening snowplough accident in January 2023 in which he suffered more than 30 broken bones and required surgery and a stay in the intensive care unit while in critical condition.

Nearly a year and a half after the incident, Renner has made a significant recovery and recently unveiled some of the gorier details of his injuries, including the graphic claim that his “eyeball was out”.

Renner has repeatedly named his daughter as one of his reasons for survival and dedicated a music video to her earlier this year.

“To my daughter, my everything, my only thing, my number one,” he said in the video’s introduction.

“You are the best part of me,” Renner continued. “Your grace, your thoughtfulness, and your constitution make me so very proud.”