Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning: Simon Pegg Teases Benji’s Evolution Across the Franchise

Simon Pegg first played Benji Dunn in Mission: Impossible III back in 2006, and he’s gone on to play the role in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, and Mission: Impossible – Fallout. Next month, fans of the franchise will see Pegg once again in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. In honor of the new film, ComicBook.com’s Brandon Davis had the chance to catch up with Pegg while he was promoting the new film in Rome, and the actor talked about Benji’s evolution over the last 17 years.

“Well, I always try and remember exactly what’s happened to Benji previously, whenever we do a new Mission: Impossible film,” Pegg explained. “And in the last film, obviously he went through the mill, you know, he kind of was hung. He nearly died. He had to diffuse a nuclear bomb. So in this film when, you know, certain things happen, I have to remember that, certainly in the case of the airport sequence, this isn’t his first time doing that thing … You play it like, ‘Oh girl, I gotta do another one of those.’ It’s fun, you know, he’s older, he’s more mature. He’s more capable as an agent now, you know? It’s nice playing that evolution.”

“I think I would probably concur with Benji in that regard,” Pegg said when asked about the most important thing about making the movies. “We’re such a unit when we come together and make these films. I mean, the crew, the cast, we’re taking on a mammoth, tasked in bringing one of these films, you know, to the screen. And in this situation with this film, there were added challenges, you know, that we all had to rise to. And it helps if you all really, really like each other, you know, because it just makes the experience more fun. And I love these guys, you know, every one of them, all the new people that came on board … we very fast became the best of friends … I’ve known Tom [Cruise] for 17 years and … he’s a true pal. I love him.”

“Well, whether or not Benji makes it into Part Two, which I obviously can’t divulge in the true style of Mission: Impossible, there will be another dial … another notch on the dial will get turned. It’s coming to something incredible. I love the fact this film feels like, even though it’s Part One, because it’s so relentlessly paced and so sort of engaging, you get to the end of it and you’re like, ‘Okay, I can wait for the next one now.’”

What Is Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One About?

Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, which premieres in theaters on July 12th. It’s the beginning of the end for the action-packed franchise, as Cruise reteams with longtime collaborator and filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie for more death-defying and breathtaking stunts. Hunt and allies Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) attempt to track down a new weapon with the power to tear the world apart. Actors Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, and Esai Morales join the cast for the latest installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise, which is set to wrap up with Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two.