Last week the ¡°Mission: Impossible¡± franchise saw its biggest opening ever ¡ª $61.2 million ¡ª with the release of its sixth film, ¡°Fallout.¡± The action blockbuster¡¯s first installment hit screens in 1996, and for more than 20 years the series has served to showcase the gravity-defying acrobatic abilities of lead star Tom Cruise.
Cruise, 56, plays Ethan Hunt, a field agent for a fictional U.S. intelligence agency who has battled terrorists, rogue agents and evildoers on a global scale. ¡°Fallout¡± shows Hunt at his most vulnerable, a bit sentimental and more inclined to ask for help ¡ª provided it comes from his friends.
That¡¯s where Benji Dunn comes in, a tech expert played by Simon Pegg who joined the franchise from its third outing. As far as character longevity goes, Pegg has been doing well. The life of a ¡°Mission: Impossible¡± agent is fraught with peril, and being a Cruise co-star tends to be a one-time gig.
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