IMF agent Jane Carter hasn’t returned after her debut in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. Here’s what is known about Paula Patton’s future.
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol introduced Jane Carter, but the franchise has not utilized Paula Patton’s character since then. The 2011 film introduced a few new characters as part of Ethan Hunt’s (Tom Cruise) latest team of IMF agents. Jeremy Renner’s William Brandt was the biggest addition thanks to plans for him to become the new Mission: Impossible franchise lead, but Paula Patton’s Jane Carter also joined the team. She proved to be a valuable member of the operation and had extra motivation to take down the movie’s villain after they killed her lover.
Despite the positive response to Jane Carter’s role in Mission: Impossible 4, she did not return in the sequel. It made Jane another example of Mission: Impossible‘s female lead problem, where the movies failed to bring them back before Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) broke the trend. Since it has been over a decade since Jane Carter was last seen, questions linger about what became of Paula Patton’s character. Just because Jane has not returned since Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol does not mean the franchise totally forgot about her, as there have been discussions about her returning.
Why Paula Patton Didn’t Return For Mission: Impossible 5
Paula Patton did not return as Jane in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, but she was meant to. Director Christopher McQuarrie confirmed in the past that there were ideas in place for Jane to come back. Paula Patton was approached to return in Mission: Impossible 5, along with Maggie Q as Zhen Lei, but the scheduling did not work. It is unclear what project kept the actress too busy to make Jane’s Mission: Impossible return possible.
Although it is known that Paula Patton could have returned as Jane in Mission: Impossible 5, the nature of her role remains a mystery. Neither she nor McQuarrie has discussed how Jane would have factored into the story. The most likely outcome could have been a relatively small appearance for Paula Patton. Her character could have been part of Ethan’s mission at the beginning of Rogue Nation or have been drawn into the IMF investigation storyline with Jeremy Renner’s Brandt.
Will Paula Patton Return As Jane In Mission: Impossible 7 or 8?
There is no confirmation currently that Paula Patton’s Mission: Impossible return is happening soon, so Jane’s potential role in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One and Part Two is unclear. It would seem unlikely at this stage considering how open McQuarrie has been about revealing which cast members are involved. The director has gone as far as to tease surprise Mission: Impossible – Fallout cast members returning in Mission: Impossible 8. However, no such teases have come for Jane Carter’s return after Mission: Impossible 4.
It would not be a complete shock if Paula Patton does return in either Mission: Impossible 7 or Mission: Impossible 8. McQuarrie has confirmed his past interest in bringing the character back, and the next two movies are expected to wrap up Ethan Hunt’s storyline. With Henry Czerny’s Kittridge from the first Mission: Impossible coming back for both sequels, seeing Paula Patton’s Jane once more could be part of the plan to connect the two-part finale to every previous film. But, the movies also have a huge cast already, so Jane’s return after Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol could be one idea too many.
Source: screenrant
