The Original Mission: Impossible 7 Opening Featured Tom Cruise At Alec Baldwin's Grave
Alec Baldwin's Alan Hunley was a great addition to the "Mission: Impossible" franchise. He went from a firm antagonist of the IMF to a dyed-in-the-wool believer, won over by Ethan Hunt being the human manifestation of destiny. Sadly, Hunley was killed off in the pulse-pounding "Mission: Impossible — Fallout," which meant that he wasn't around for the most recent entry, "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One."
But there was almost an alternate universe where Baldwin returned for a cameo. Hunley wouldn't be a zombie in this scenario but rather would appear via flashback to a time when he was still among the living. "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning" director Christopher McQuarrie revealed the abandoned plans, and added that there was even a chance that Hunley would be a kind of "spirit guide" to Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt.
A spirit guide
Speaking with the Empire Spoiler Specials podcast (via ComicBook), McQuarrie revealed that "Dead Reckoning" originally opened with Ethan and Hunley walking alongside a wall. Eventually, we see it's not just any wall, but the Berlin Wall. "And it's Alec Baldwin talking to Ethan about his life as a spy, how he became a spy," McQuarrie said. "And you realize it's him counseling Ethan. You're seeing a glimpse into the friendship of these two characters that existed prior to Fallout. And you cut and Tom is standing at his grave, having heard the words of wisdom from Alec, and he's just looking at a gravestone that says 'Hunley.' And that notion of Alec Baldwin being a spirit guide to Ethan in his memory was a very, very early idea to the story, something I was keenly interested in."
I have to say, I like this idea a lot. It certainly sounds like a better opening than what we got, which involved a food delivery guy being asked if he wanted to join the IMF, or something like that. Ultimately, McQuarrie didn't specify why they didn't go with the Hunley opening. Perhaps Baldwin didn't want to come back. Perhaps the filmmaker ultimately felt it would be distracting to resurrect a dead character for a flashback. In any case, we'll have to just wonder what could've been. Rest in Peace, Hunley. You were a real one.