When “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” dropped, it wasn’t just another Ethan Hunt-led action saga. It was a quiet but resounding full-circle moment for Black actors who’ve earned their place in the blockbuster conversation—and then some.
Angela Bassett, the queen of commanding a screen with nothing but a glance, returns as CIA Director Erika Sloane. With a career that spans everything from “What’s Love Got to Do with It” to “Black Panther,” she’s played queens, mothers, presidents, and everything in between. But in this chapter, it’s more than just a return. She sets the bar—and the tone—for what power looks like in this universe.
“If I could join any saga?” Bassett muses. “Let’s see — I’d say something like “The Avengers or Star Wars.” With her resume, it wouldn’t be a stretch—it would be a flex.
Joining her is Greg Tarzan Davis, who’s steadily become a fixture in high-octane franchises. After turning heads in “Top Gun: Maverick,” Davis brings his undeniable presence to Mission, showing he’s not just passing through Hollywood—he’s carving out a lane for the long haul.
“I wish I was able to experience what it was like to be in Angela Bassett’s era, because you didn’t have it all out there and exposed,” Davis reflects. “I keep myself pretty closed off and private. I don’t think too many people know about me — so I think I’m doing a great job.”
It’s that deliberate privacy, in a culture addicted to oversharing, that’s become part of Davis’ power. The less you know, the more intrigued you become. No stunts required.
Then there’s “Severance” breakout Tramell Tillman, making his “Mission: Impossible” debut with a performance that cuts through the noise. He doesn’t just show up for the action—he brings layered vulnerability, giving emotional weight to the franchise’s usual firepower.
“I really had to mask my anxiety,” Tillman shares, reflecting on stepping into a behemoth like Mission. “There is this feeling that we aren’t enough and being a part of this massive franchise, it really activated my own neurosis. I had to take a lot of time to really tamper that down. I was grateful to have a supportive team, my own team, my own community, as well as this Mission Impossible family that really embraced me 100%.”
Tillman’s rise hasn’t been conventional—and that’s exactly the point. From the eerie corridors of Lumon Industries on Severance to sharing the screen with Tom Cruise, he’s proving that you don’t have to shout to be heard.
“Honestly? I had to remember to breathe,” he says. “We’re smarter when we breathe.”
That breathwork, that stillness—that’s his edge. Not a stunt or a fight sequence, but an internal compass that keeps him grounded when the cameras roll and chaos reigns.
On set, Tillman isn’t chasing adrenaline. He’s chasing alignment.
“I don’t know if it’ll shock anybody,” he laughs, “but I listen to music and I do word searches. It quiets my demons. There’s something so gratifying about scratching something out.”
His dream role? A showdown—but make it high fashion.
“Colman Domingo,” he says without blinking. “Maybe we’re the heads of rival fashion houses and it turns into a full-on house battle.”
And while that sounds like a viral scene waiting to happen, the core of Tillman’s performances remains deeply human.
“People sometimes assume the roles I play are one-dimensional,” he says. “But I’m always trying to show their complexity and their humanity.”
That complexity is by design. Each character is a mirror, meant to reflect something back at us.
“I always hope that I’m playing characters that are marrying our own humanity and asking us to ask audiences to dive deep and seek into their own psyches and that maybe these people aren’t so different from us.”
What belief did Tillman have to unlearn to get here?
“Success isn’t material,” he says. That’s not a quote—it’s a manifesto.
And Bassett, whose very name has become synonymous with excellence, knows that onscreen power doesn’t always reflect offscreen progress.
“We’ve got to see more of it in the real world,” she said. “We know how representation works. Sometimes people have to see it in order to believe it. We’re helping them get there.”
Whether it’s legacy, longevity, or a long-awaited seat at the table, Bassett, Davis, and Tillman aren’t just in the frame—they’re shaping what the frame looks like.
“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” is in theaters now.
