Rebecca Ferguson Is Happy to Leave Tom Cruise’s $4.1B Franchise Behind

Summary:

• Starring in 2015's Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation gave Rebecca Ferguson's acting career a big boost
• However, the actress was actually happy to leave the franchise after her three-film contract expired
• Ferguson felt that if she had stayed, Ilsa Faust's story would have gone in a direction that didn't interest her

Although Rebecca Ferguson began her acting career more than two decades ago, it wasn't until 2015 that the actress became a global superstar after making her debut in the Mission Impossible franchise.

Following her portrayal of Ilsa Faust in Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, Ferguson went on to star in a wide range of films and shows, most notably Doctor Sleep (2019), Dune ( 2021), and the TV series Silo, which received critical and fan acclaim.

But she didn't give up on the Tom Cruise spy movie series, appearing in two more films and earning the love of many fans.

Ferguson Was Happy to Leave the Franchise

Unfortunately, 2023's Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One seemed to mark the end of her time as Ilsa, as the agent was killed during the events of the movie, setting Ethan Hunt on a quest to avenge her.

However, in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Ferguson revealed that she is actually happy to leave Mission Impossible behind, as the actress could have signed on for more films after her three-film contract expired, but decided otherwise.

According to Ferguson, although she absolutely loves her character and the franchise, she felt that if she had stayed, Ilsa's story would have gone in a direction she wasn't interested in.

She Wanted to Explore a Different Side of Ilsa

While the actress would have preferred to explore the dark side of Ilsa, like making her go rogue, she felt that the creators were heading in the direction of making the character more of a team player, so she decided to call it quits.

The fact that starring in a franchise takes a lot of time and effort also played a significant role in her decision, as after shooting her scenes in the 2023 movie, the actress appeared in three more projects, while the next Mission Impossible is still in the works.

Fans, on the other hand, weren't too happy with Ilsa's sudden death, which many of them felt was rushed and extremely disappointing, as she was one of the best characters in the entire franchise.

Some even believe that the whole thing was a complete fake and that the interview was just a distraction from her possible return in the next movie.

Rebecca Ferguson's most recent big screen appearance was in Dune: Part Two, which will be released in the U.S. on March 1, 2024.

Sources: Entertainment Tonight, Reddit