Why Mission: Impossible 7 Should Have Brought Back Henry Cavill's Walker

Contains spoilers for "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One"

In a franchise fueled on keeping secrets and throwing surprise hi-tech spanners in the works should the need arise, "Dead Reckoning Part One" was distinctly lacking in the shock factor, even with the exit for one of "Mission: Impossible's" key characters. Sure, jaws dropped seeing Tom Cruise riding a bike and ditching it mid-flight, but it lacked something that "Mission: Impossible – Fallout" had in spades; a perfect opposing force to Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise).

Henry Cavill's August Walker was, and still is, what elevates "Fallout" in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise rankings after the great Philip Seymour Hoffman. The hammer to Hunt's scalpel, their final showdown atop a Himalayan mountainside, was an epic one that demonstrated Cavill was just as magnetic trying to end the world as he was in his other roles trying to save it.

It's such a shame, then, that as cool a customer Gabriel (Esai Morales) provides a different threat that pales in comparison to Cavill's hulking but equally manipulative mastermind, which was on the verge of greatness. As much as there was a basic battle between good and evil burning between the two, Cavill's Walker nailed the art of being the likable but equally annoying "p—-k" (Hunt's words, not ours) and went through some signature bad guy hurdles from another popular franchise that would make him a welcome returning foil in this one just as much.

The revelation that Henry Cavill's fist-reloading CIA man was the brains behind Ethan's issues made August Walker more like a force to be reckoned with than Gabriel ever could. As smooth as Esai Morales may be, gaining an edge thanks to The Entity actually made him a less compelling foe. As the messenger for an AI, Morales' antagonist almost feels like the "Mission: Impossible" answer to The Architect from "The Matrix." A jargon-spouting man of mystery that doesn't really feel like much of an imposing figure. 

Also, for a foe that's supposed to have a history with Hunt, it doesn't feel like it. That's where Walker making a comeback would feel so much more impactful. We've seen these two go toe-to-toe. We know they can push each other's buttons, and seeing more of that would make any future "Mission: Impossible" chapter with Cavill all the more enjoyable. It'd be the perfect time to have him pay a return visit as well, given his current schedule. 

After hanging up the cape as Superman and passing the White Wolf onto Liam Hemsworth for "The Witcher," seeing him strut back on the scene for "Mission: Impossible" twice as angry and just as unhinged would be welcome. More importantly, it could cement Cavill a spot in a franchise that could actually work wonders with his inclusion, filling a space in cinema's current climate that an opposing agent and his foes left behind.

As the world waits with bated breath for a new James Bond to appear, Ethan Hunt and his ensemble of impossible mission acceptors have the espionage action market covered. Calling upon Henry Cavill could establish August Walker as a permanent threat to Hunt just as Blofeld was for Bond. Much like the cat-loving lunatic with the top SPECTRE spot, Walker has already shown his managerial skills by handling The Apostles while hiding in plain sight. If he managed to go that long without being detected, it wouldn't be that much of a shock to see him make a killer comeback as an even more maniacal force.

In all seriousness, bringing Walker back from the dead wouldn't be such a wild idea, even to Cruise's confidant and "Mission: Impossible" director Christopher McQuarrie. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in 2021, he revealed,  "I'm in the process of rewriting 'Mission 8' right now, this afternoon I could turn a page and any actor from the past could come back. There is no such thing as death in movies, only unavailability." 

Great! Please do, McQ. What better way throw Hunt off balance than setting up a rematch we'd all be hyped to see. Stunts are all well and good, but involving them with a former foe whose fists can bring shirt pockets into existence is what the franchise really needs. Come on, Tom. Bring Cavill back to be better and badder than ever.