20 Declassified Facts About The Mission: Impossible Series
8. Jeremy Renner Was Hired As Cruise's Replacement
When Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol was released, Renner said he had been asked to be not just a co-star, but perhaps a lead in a sequel: "It's a franchise to potentially take over. I can't predict the future and what they want, but that's certainly the idea." A producer on the series himself, Cruise had seen his box-office clout dimmed by 2011, and he may have considered stepping down.
Then Ghost Protocol grossed more than any other film in the franchise, and a year later, Renner was saying, "There's no taking over. It's not happening." Since the next M:I film is already in production, Renner may be right. But given the riskiness of Cruise's stunts, it doesn't hurt to have him waiting in the wings.