Mission: Impossible 7's Kittridge Actor Shocks Fans with Epic Return Revelation: Exposing the Bridge-Burning Truth!

Henry Czerny, the actor who played IMF Director Eugene Kittridge in the original Mission: Impossible movie, is finally breaking his silence on Kittridge's return after six sequels. In a recent interview with UPROXX, Czerny revealed that his absence from the franchise was due to a meeting with Tom Cruise's former producing partner, Paula Wagner. During this meeting, Czerny candidly expressed his disappointments with the role and shared his ideas for the future. Read on to see what Czerny remembered from that unfortunate encounter.

Why Kittridge's M:I Return Is So Meaningful For Dead Reckoning

After Mission: Impossible, during the first month, I had a lunch meeting with Paula Wagner, who was Tom Cruise's producing partner at the time. I took the opportunity to discuss the missed opportunities with Kittridge and suggest potential improvements for the character in future projects. Paula was incredibly polite and paid for the lunch. Unfortunately, that was the last interaction I had with the Mission: Impossible team. I unknowingly severed ties with them by sharing my thoughts with Paula. It remains unclear whether they had already intended to drop the Kittridge character, given that Ving Rhames and Tom are the main pillars of the original cast. It is possible that the decision had been under consideration since the beginning, but I certainly didn't do myself any favors as an aspiring actor by pointing out what Paula had overlooked in this supporting role.

Kittridge's absence in the Mission: Impossible franchise has never been addressed until now. In each sequel, different individuals have taken charge of Hunt's organization. Anthony Hopkins in Mission: Impossible 2, Laurence Fishburne in Mission: Impossible 3, Tom Wilkinson in Ghost Protocol, and Alec Baldwin's Hunley in Fallout, who joined from the CIA after Rogue Nation. It is worth noting that there have been no explanations given for Kittridge's successors either. Only Mission: Impossible — Fallout reveals the fate of an IMF Director with Baldwin's character being killed off.

The return of Kittridge in Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning adds depth to the two-part story, twisting the iconic franchise trend. The movie's marketing has already hinted at the return of various elements from the original films, such as director Brian de Palma's distinct camera angles and Hunt's impressive sleight-of-hand skills. The story also delves into Ethan's emotional journey, with Esai Morales' villain Gabriel having connections to Cruise's character and casting doubt on the team's fate in their most important mission yet.

Kittridge's reappearance, as a member of the agency heads known as The Collective, demonstrates the significance of Ethan's actions in Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One. This collective dispatches their own hunters, including Shea Whigham's Jasper Briggs, to put an end to Ethan's chaos and restore peace to the world. The escalating stakes for Kittridge's future in Part Two are particularly intriguing. However, with the ongoing actors and writers strikes affecting the production of the next Mission: Impossible film, there is uncertainty about whether the planned June 2024 release date will be postponed to address these questions.

Source: UPROXX