Nicholas Hoult drops out of Mission Impossible 7 and is replaced by Esai Morales as filming is delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic
Nicholas Hoult has dropped out of his role in Mission Impossible 7 and will be replaced by Esai Morales.
The actor, 30, was set to play the villain in the upcoming blockbuster opposite Tom Cruise but will no longer be taking part, according to Deadline.
Filming on the movie has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic and the set back meant Nicholas had to drop out out of the project as it is now in conflict with another career commitment.
Bowing out: Nicholas Hoult, 30, has dropped out of his role in Mission Impossible 7 (pictured in August 2019)
The role of the antagonist will now be played by Esai who is known for his roles in TV series including How To Get Away With Murder and NYPD Blue.
The film is written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie who is said to be carrying on with planning the project with department heads via Zoom meetings.
Along with Tom Cruise, other actors set to appear in the film include Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby and Henry Czerny.
The flick will be the third in the Mission Impossible series to be directed by McQuarrie following his work on Rogue Nation and Fallout.
New face: Nicholas will be replaced by Esai Morales, 57, who is known for his roles in shows like NYPD Blue and How To Get Away With Murder (pictured in January 2020)
Mission Impossible 7 is set to be released on November 19, 2021 while another untitled sequel is scheduled for November 4, 2022.
MailOnline has contacted representatives for Nicholas and production company Skydance Media for comment.
It comes after Nicholas admitted he’s relishing the challenges of fatherhood, and is actually enjoying being at home with his family due to the pandemic.
The actor has a two-year-old son with model Bryana Holly, and shared a rare insight into being a dad on The Late Late Show with James Corden earlier this month.
Production: Filming on the movie has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic and the set back meant Nicholas had to drop out out of the project (Tom Cruise pictured in Ghost Protocol)
Nicholas said: ‘I’m loving it. It’s mad. It’s a learning curve, isn’t it? There’s a lot to take in.
‘But overall, it’s like that time again, it brings back a lot of memories of your childhood.
‘It makes you play again – which I’m really enjoying, particularly with this time now with everything shut down and not having to work I’m kind of just playing trains all day. Yeah, it’s great.’
Interview: It comes after Nicholas admitted he’s relishing the challenges of fatherhood, and is actually enjoying being at home with his family due to the pandemic
Nicholas has made a concerted effort to keep his family life out of the spotlight in recent years.
In an interview in 2019, he explained: ‘Someone will find out soon enough and that’s fine, no big deal, but for now it’s my own precious little thing and I’m keeping it.’
The actor – who previously dated fellow Hollywood star Jennifer Lawrence for five years – has succeeded in keeping his son’s name a secret for more than two years.
Family man: Nicholas has made a concerted effort to keep his family life out of the spotlight in recent years (pictured with partner Bryana in 2018)