Despite initially being set to reprise her role as CIA Director Erika Sloane in the upcoming movie, the 'Black Panther' actress now confirms that 'COVID took me out.'
- Jul 17, 2021
AceShowbiz - Angela Bassett isn't coming back for "Mission: Impossible VII" despite initial expectation. The actress, who had a minor key role in "Mission: Impossible - Fallout", was originally set to reprise her role as CIA Director Erika Sloane in the upcoming movie, but she has now confirmed the plan fell apart due the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Oscar and Emmy-nominated actress broke the news of the unfortunate situation during an interview with Collider to talk about her latest action movie "Gunpowder Milkshake". "I can't tease anything about 'Mission: Impossible 7' except that, well, COVID took me out, literally. Or kept me out, how about that?" she told the news outlet.
Bassett, however, doesn't rule out a return for a potential eighth installment of the action film franchise. "So that's all I know about that, but maybe I'll be able to tease 8 when that comes along," she added in the interview.
Bassett's return isn't the only thing affected by the pandemic. The filming of "Mission: Impossible 7" has been dragged and delayed several times due to COVID scare, though lead actor and producer Tom Cruise has put on strict safety measures on the set.
Most recently, in early June, filming was suspended for two weeks after at least one crew member tested positive. A Paramount Pictures spokesperson said at the time, "We have temporarily halted production on 'Mission: Impossible 7' until 14 June, due to positive coronavirus results during routine testing. We are following all safety protocols and will continue to monitor the situation."
The delay reportedly left Cruise and the team "tearing their hair out" because there was "a huge pressure to finish on time." A source told The Sun, "Tom and the team are tearing their hair out. Some of the crew are agency contractors and are already booked to move on to new projects. Without them, Tom will be left scratching around for replacements. And if that wasn't enough, he has his own scheduling conflicts."
