Tom Cruise jets 'The Man from UNCLE' to work on 'Mission: Impossible 5'

Warner Bros. has had a heck of a time trying to get the ball rolling on their big screen take on The Man from UNCLE. The adaptation of the 1960s spy TV series began as a Steven Soderbergh project with George Clooney set for the lead role of American agent Napoleon Solo. Both eventually left for different reasons, only for Guy Ritchie to come aboard and Tom Cruise moving into Clooney's spot. Just as things were starting to look up, with Armie Hammer and Alicia Vikander slotted for supporting roles, they've hit another roadblock as Cruise has exited the project.

With Cruise officially signing on to Mission: Impossible 5, it should come as no surprise 'UNCLE' no longer fits into his schedule. His energies will now be focused on his long-running franchise, which he'll produce and help in development of the story.  This could be a critical setback for Warner Bros., who were aiming for a fall start date, and will now have to spend time trying to find an actor with the same global appeal as Cruise. He may not be that big of a star here in the America anymore, but his international star power is unrivaled.

So we'll have to see what happens. Hammer is still on board to play a version of Russian agent Illya Kuryakin, although it could be telling that Vikander isn't mentioned in Deadline's report at all. Perhaps word of her signing was premature?