Jeremy Renner has revealed the real reason he decided to exit the Mission: Impossible franchise nine years ago – and why he would now be willing to return.
The 53-year-old played agent William Brandt in the 2011 film Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and the 2015 release Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.
Although he still feels ‘love’ for his character and affection for the movies’ leading man Tom Cruise, he felt he had to withdraw from the series.
In 2013 he welcomed his daughter Ava, 11, with model Sonni Pacheco, whom he married in 2014 only for them to separate 10 months later, resulting in split custody.
His duties as a father did not allow him to jet off to the UK for the amount of time needed to make more Mission: Impossible films, he told Collider.
Jeremy Renner has revealed the real reason he decided to exit the Mission: Impossible franchise nine years ago – and why he would now be willing to return; pictured last week
The 53-year-old played agent William Brandt in the 2011 film Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (pictured) and the 2015 release Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
‘I had to leave that,’ he said of the movie series. ‘I was supposed to do more with them. I love those guys. I love Tom so much.’
He shared: ‘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.’
Sonni filed for divorce from Jeremy in December 2014 just months before his latest Mission: Impossible movie came out, triggering a bitter custody battle over Ava.
They ultimately settled the dispute in April 2015 – three months before the release of Rogue Nation – and agreed on joint physical and legal custody.
In the intervening time, two more Mission: Impossible movies have been released, and a third is slated to bow in theaters next year.
Jeremy has now divulged that he would be open to the prospect of returning to the franchise because of Ava’s age.
‘Maybe now that my daughter is older that could happen. I’d always jump into a Mission: Impossible anytime and back into Brandt. It’s great,’ he said.
Jeremy is currently mounting a comeback to acting after he survived a life-threatening accident on New Year’s Day 2023.
He ultimately felt he had to withdraw from the series after Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, which he is pictured in with Ving Rhames
In 2013 he welcomed his daughter Ava, 11, with model Sonni Pacheco, whom he then married in 2014 only for them to split 10 months later; the trio are pictured post-divorce in 2016
Jeremy has said he ‘maybe’ could return to the franchise ‘now that my daughter is older; he and Ava are pictured in April 2023 in Los Angeles
In the aftermath of his divorce, however, he ‘had to go be a dad’ and could not jet off to the UK for the amount of time required to make more Mission: Impossible films
The Hurt Locker star was crushed by a 14,330 pound snowplow while trying to prevent it from running over his nephew in rural Nevada.
He suffered a wide array of serious injuries, including over 30 broken bones – and he later disclosed that one of his eyes even popped out.
Jeremy embarked on a grueling months-long recovery process, which he documented on social media to the awe of his fanbase.
‘The body is miraculous,’ he wrote in the caption of a workout video. ‘Even though I feel like the Tin Man, needing oil for all my new joints (hips, knees, ankles, tibia etc). Encouraged after this warm up to press on (don’t tell my PT).’
