Pegg claims Tom Cruise confronted Paramount chief to block Renner replacement in Mission: Impossible

Simon Pegg is publicizing a dramatic moment in Mission: Impossible lore, saying Tom Cruise’s place at the center of the franchise was secured through a direct clash with Paramount’s then-chairman Brad Grey. Speaking on Rob Lowe’s Literally! podcast, Pegg recounted that Cruise flew from Vancouver to Los Angeles to confront Grey at a party, telling him that plans to replace Hunt with Jeremy Renner would not proceed. Pegg said Cruise then brought in Christopher McQuarrie, who rewrote the Ghost Protocol script, and Cruise maintained his position as the franchise’s lead, Ethan Hunt.

Paramount had been weighing Renner, who had risen to prominence after The Hurt Locker, as a potential successor. The original Ghost Protocol script, written by Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec, reportedly envisioned Hunt suffering a career-ending injury and gradually stepping back to an IMF Secretary role, clearing the way for a new field agent to lead future films. Pegg said Cruise’s resistance helped derail that trajectory. Stunt coordinator Gregg Smrz recalled the tense dynamic on set, saying, "He was strapping in his harness, looked at me and said, 'I ain't going nowhere.'"

Ghost Protocol went on to become a global blockbuster, grossing nearly $700 million, and it effectively relaunched the franchise’s commercial arc. Pegg stressed that Cruise’s enduring influence in Hollywood extends beyond a single film, describing him as "almost like a walking studio" due to his longevity and business acumen. Rob Lowe also recounted a remark from a Paramount executive who lives near him: during the peak of the Mission: Impossible project, Cruise allegedly demanded an extra $30 million, a sum the studio reportedly found difficult to refuse given the financial stakes.

Pegg’s remarks touch on broader industry dynamics, with the actor suggesting that big-budget productions need to be financially sustainable and that the current model might require reevaluation to remain viable. He argued that Hollywood should consider films made for more modest budgets so studios can expect profit without venturing into unsustainable risk.

Since Ghost Protocol, Cruise has led four more installments in the series, each pushing formidable stunts and production challenges. Renner appeared in Rogue Nation (2015) but later said he turned down a revival in Fallout that would have killed off his character early in the film. Pegg also acknowledged that the franchise’s modern chapter, The Final Reckoning, released earlier this year, was promoted as the last entry—but he hinted that Cruise’s appetite for the character might defy conclusive labeling.

The Daily Mail, which published Pegg’s account, noted that it had reached out to representatives for Cruise, Renner, and Paramount for comment and had not received a response at publication. The outlet frames Pegg’s account as a window into the behind-the-scenes power dynamics that can shape a blockbuster franchise, even as it remains unconfirmed by the principals involved.