By India McCarty
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE — THE FINAL RECKONING makes its way to theaters today, but one familiar face will be missing. Why didn’t Jeremy Renner return for the franchise’s big finale?
“I love Tom, and I love doing those movies. So fun!” Renner, who appeared in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE — GHOST PROTOCOL and MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE — ROGUE NATION, said during a conversation on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast.
The actor added, “But I couldn’t. I had to really be a dad…I have to be a dad. I can’t go do [those movies], right?”
“And God bless [Cruise], and I love him. I wish I could do that. I just can’t,” Renner said. “I love the choice I made. I love being a dad. It’s the best role I’ve ever had and always will have.”
Renner is dad to daughter Ava, 12, and called fatherhood “the best thing” he’s ever done. He also shared that his “perspective on things” changed after becoming a father.
“The only thing I think about when I’m not with my baby is, ‘How do I get to my baby?’ I’m very miserable when I don’t see her. I really love being a father,” he told PEOPLE. “She makes me the best version of me. She inspires me to be better.”
In an interview with Parade, Renner said, “I really understand my place as her father. It is my duty to teach her how to love, how to be strong, how to overcome. Leading by example has always been important to me.”
Related: Jeremy Renner Asked Daughter to ‘Wait for Me’ After Accident: ‘I’ll Be Better’
Renner has also previously spoken about why he declined a cameo role in 2018’s MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE — FALLOUT.
“I remember they tried to bring me over[seas] for a week so they could kill my character, and I was like, ‘No, you don’t get to do that. You’re not going to drag me over there and just kill my character,’ like get out of here!” Renner said in a 2024 interview. “If you’re going to do this and you’re going to use my character, you’re going to do it right.”
The actor also reiterated his commitment to fatherhood, telling Collider, “I was supposed to do more with them. I love those guys. I love Tom so much. 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.”
While fans are disappointed not to see Renner’s character make an appearance in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE — THE FINAL RECKONING, it’s understandable that the actor chose family over the popular — and time-consuming — franchise.
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