Impossible 7 Easter Egg Christopher McQuarrie Says Everyone Missed

Erika Sloane succeeded Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin) as the director of the CIA after the latter chose to become the director of the Impossible Mission Force (IMF) instead. Now, for some as-of-yet unexplained reason, Sloane has been replaced by former IMF director Eugene Kittridge. If you’re confused as to why Christopher McQuarrie wouldn’t address such an important structural change in the script of his film, it’s likely because it wasn’t originally intended to be part of the «Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning» story.

«She was going to be the head of the CIA. She would’ve been in that room with all the other heads of the intelligence community that you meet,» he told Variety on the red carpet of the film’s premiere. Bassett was signed on to appear in the follow-up to «Fallout» but had to drop out in 2021 due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions in place at the time. McQuarrie is eager to bring Sloane (and Bassett) back in some capacity, potentially in «Dead Reckoning Part Two.» He went on to tell Variety, «Angela is too fabulous. … There’s always a plan in the future.»

During her «appearance» in «Dead Reckoning,» McQuarrie and Hamilton note a moment of visual symmetry in which Sloane’s portrait — depicting her ever-critical and calculating demeanor, arms formidably crossed — is mirrored by Denlinger in the foreground as he challenges Kittridge. Perhaps this is meant to imply that Kittridge is as different from Denlinger as he is from Sloane, which would come into play should they manage to bring Bassett back for «Dead Reckoning Part Two.»