Action star Jeremy Renner's career is on the rise since The Hurt Locker in which his performance was nominated for an Oscar. Renner will soon appear as operative alongside Tom Cruise' superspy Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible IV.

Paramount made the announcement Thursday (August 26) with its production chief Adam Goodman saying Renner "has a Daniel Craig quality" that he wants for the role. This fueled rumors that Renner might eventually take over the lead from Cruise, if Ethan Hunt will not return for future films.

MTV quotes sources as saying that the Hollywood studio was also looking for an actor who might be able to continue on with the franchise, should Cruise choose not to return in the future. Whether Renner is the one will not be confirmed any time soon as Cruise is expected to return for a fifth installment.

Other actors considered for the role include Inception star Tom Hardy , Star Trek's Chris Pine, Kevin Zegers, Christopher Egan and Renner's Hurt Locker co-star Anthony Mackie.