Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Is Bringing Back a Fan Favorite Character

A familiar character is returning for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning — as long as it doesn’t turn out to be another mask reveal, that is.

Revealed by director Christopher McQuarrie on Instagram (via Slashfilm), Rolf Saxon’s CIA Analyst William Donloe is getting back in the game for Dead Reckoning. McQuarrie posted a photo of the actor that simply said, “And Rolf Saxon.. #MissionImpossible #Dead Reckoning”.

This will mark Saxon’s first appearance in the series since 1996’s Mission: Impossible. McQuarrie didn’t specifically reveal if William Donloe will return in this summer’s Dead Reckoning Part One, or if fans will have to wait until next year’s Dead Reckoning Part Two. However, it seems Donloe’s return is likely set for Part Two, which is still in production.

In the original Mission: Impossible, Donloe is the protector of the NOC CIA list that the plot revolves around. Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt steals the list from Donloe, causing the disgraced CIA agent to get sent to work in Alaska. It’s unclear what role Donloe will serve over 25 years since he last interacted with Ethan.

There’s a lot of hype building for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, as the two-part movie will reportedly serve as a send-off for Cruise’s Ethan Hunt. Cruise also said he performed the most dangerous stunt of his career in the new movie, which you can check out in Dead Reckoning’s first trailer. 

Dead Reckoning Part 1 is set to hit theaters on July 14, 2023, with Part Two coming about a year later on June 28, 2024. Part One will star Cruise alongside Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, Henry Czerny, Esai Morales, and Frederick Schmidt.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over six years of experience in the gaming industry with bylines at IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine, and Lifewire. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.