Esai Morales replaces Nicholas Hoult in Mission: Impossible 7

Actor Nicholas Hoult, who was set to play the villain in the next Mission: Impossible, has exited the film due to scheduling conflicts. He has been replaced by Esai Morales, best known for starring in series such as Ozark, Titans, NYPD Blue, and How to Get Away With Murder. 

The film's shooting in Italy was suspended in February due to the Covid-19 outbreak. It was earlier said the delay might cause a conflict with Hoult's schedule as he had already committed to shoot for the second season of Hulu's The Great.

Helmed by Christopher McQuarrie, Tom Cruise will reprise the role of Impossible Mission Forces (IMF) agent Ethan Hunt in the upcoming films. The cast also includes Ving Rhames, Henry Czerny, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson and Vanessa Kirby.

The seventh and eighth instalments of the film were set to be released on July 23, 2021, and August 5, 2022, respectively. Paramount Pictures has pushed the release dates to November 19, 2021, and November 4, 2022.