Cruising For A Bruising: 'Mission: Impossible 6' Starts Filming And Reveals Surprise Villain

As we prepare for #TomCruise to return to the role of pint-sized spy Ethan Hunt, the #MissionImpossible series is set to continue its legacy with an explosive new entry into the franchise. Well, it can't be that impossible, as for five films and 21 years we have watched Agent Hunt live to fight another day alongside the likes of Thandie Newton, Ving Rhames, and Simon Pegg.

With over $2 billion in its pocket, and as the 18th highest-grossing franchise in Hollywood, July 2018 brings a sixth film into the fold. Cruise will obviously be back for the unnamed sequel to 2015's Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation and No. 6 is sure to try and top its predecessors. While we don't know what Ethan is up to this time, we now know where the film will be set and that another familiar face will be returning to cause havoc.

You mission, if you choose to accept it.

Light the fuse...(photo @rdhardy) pic.twitter.com/kidurRcjpi— ChristopherMcQuarrie (@chrismcquarrie) April 8, 2017

Director Christopher McQuarrie took to Twitter to announce the filming, under the caption "Light the fuse" — an homage to the title sequence. Some clever fan spotted that the crew appeared to be setting up shop in Paris, which was later confirmed by a series of leaked set photos. With previous locations for the series including London, Dubai, and Moscow, Mission: Impossible is a veritable jolly jaunt around the world.

It is unknown whether Paris will continue to be the main locale of the film, or how it fits into the plot, but we will keep you updated when more details are released. Just like the self-destructing dossiers of the films, fans of the spy series are left with no clue where Hunt's sixth adventure will take us, other than the fact that it will continue what McQuarrie set up in Rogue Nation.

Bringing back the bad guy.

The leaked images appear to show a typically Ethan Hunt-esque high-speed chase but also contained the surprise return of #SeanHarris as Solomon Lane. When we last left Lane, he was sealed in a bulletproof case ready to be shipped to the IMF, so it is certainly a welcome shock to see him return. The chase contains several armored vehicles and a helicopter, and it takes place in the busy streets of Paris. Harris is notably wearing a straightjacket and Hunt sits alongside him in a civilian car.

Mission: Impossible has given us some great bad guys, including stellar performances from Jon Voight, Dougray Scott, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, so it is an interesting story arc to see McQuarrie bringing over the villain from a previous entry. Whether or not Lane will be the main antagonist of the story, he is set to rise to James Bond/Blofeld status as one of the franchise's most memorable villains.

With the two sharing a car and being pursued by unknown motorbike assailants, could this mean that Hunt is working to save Lane's life or to help him escape? McQuarrie is the only director to helm more than one M: I film and clearly has plans for what he wants to do with Hunt and Lane. It is unknown whether he will return to direct a third entry, but given the popularity of the series, we should at least expect Mission: Impossible 7!

The whole gang is back together.

While there were no signs of anyone other than Harris and Cruise, we also know that #AlecBaldwin will reprise his role as Alan Hunley and #RebeccaFerguson as Ilsa Faust. We also know that #HenryCavill has signed on in an unnamed role, presumably brought on board as a member of the IMF to replace #JeremyRenner's departing William Brandt. As for McQuarrie, who better to steer the series into a new chapter? As something of a Cruise-ophile, Christopher has worked with the actor on Jack Reacher and penned the scripts for Edge of Tomorrow and Valkyrie.

The director has also written M: I6, which promises to push Crusie further than the previous entries have before. There is reportedly a huge stunt that the crew have been working on for over a year, and given some of the outlandish things the series has done before, it promises to be bigger than ever. This news will self-destruct in three seconds!