Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning marks 27 years since we first saw Tom Cruise star as Ethan Hunt, but even after so much time, Dead Reckoning is still bringing back characters from the first film.

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To the surprise of many, Christopher McQuarrie, the film’s writer (And writer for almost every Tom Cruise project recently, including Top Gun: Maverick), shared a picture of a long-forgotten character from the upcoming sequel. 

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A post shared by Christopher McQuarrie (@christophermcquarrie)

Fans fond of the original film will undoubtedly recognize the above as William Donloe, AKA the CIA analyst responsible for safeguarding a top-secret list of undercover agents. Donloe is played by Rolf Saxon, who is set to return for Dead Reckoning, although this time, he’s got a pretty sweet beard. The list he oversees in the first film is ultimately stolen in one of the most iconic and intense scenes ever put to film. If you don’t remember, allow us to jog your memory.

Of course, many fans were surprised to see such a minor character being brought back for the latest film, with some wondering if there is anyone they’re not bringing back for the latest installment. We’re sure that not many have given the vault guy a second thought since his appearance in the first film back in 1996. But it looks like it’s all McQuarrie’s been thinking about.

Dead Reckoning will be released in two parts, the first being released this year and the second set to be released in June 2024. There is no trailer for part two as yet, and there’s not much info on the impact William Donloe will have on the story, either. For now, we’ll just have to wait as we’re drip-fed more information about the upcoming film two-parter.