Christopher McQuarrie believes that an Ilsa Faust M:I spin-off is unlikely

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

It's been a pleasure to watch the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE cast change and evolve over the course of the last six movies, and one of the newest additions to M:I team has frequently been the subject of spin-off discussions among fans. Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) made her debut in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION and returns in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT, but despite the popularity of her character, Christopher McQuarrie believes that such a spin-off is unlikely.

While speaking with Collider, the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT writer/director confirmed that although there had been talks of a spin-off, it was decided that the franchise is really best when it's centered around the whole team, led by Tom Cruise of course.

“Rebecca and I have talked about it, [producer] Jake Myers and I have talked about it, Tom [Cruise] and I have talked about it, it’s this … the spinoff, when we talked about it was like, what would the movie be? We’ve talked about many Mission spinoffs, it’s not just about Ilsa. Mission is so much about the exploits of this character. What would the spinoffs then be shaped like? Would they still be Mission: Impossible movies? So much of what defines Mission is the fact that Tom Cruise is doing all of these crazy things.”

That's not to say that Rebecca Ferguson won't be taking the lead of her own action film in the future, as Christopher McQuarrie revealed that he's approached the actress with an idea for something new. "Rebecca and I were talking about it, and I said, ‘I’ve got a better idea. You’re Rebecca, like let’s give you your identity,’ and I’m developing stuff with Rebecca to be Rebecca. And that’s what I would like to see," McQuarrie said. "I feel like if you make an Ilsa spinoff, it would always be like, ‘When’s Ethan gonna make his cameo?’ And the thing that’s not to be underestimated about the role of Ilsa Faust, is that she is played by Rebecca Ferguson, who is a star. And it is a star that a lot of people haven’t figured out, haven’t woken up to that fact. And I’m kind of at her service."

Ferguson certainly isn't hurting for roles however, as she's set to appear in both the upcoming MEN IN BLACK spin-off alongside Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson and DOCTOR SLEEP, Mike Flanagan's adaptation of Stephen King's sequel to The Shining. She's also in talks to star in Denis Villeneuve's upcoming DUNE remake.