It seems like when Tom Cruise wants someone to star in his movie, he can usually make them join just be sheer will power and persuasion -- or at least that's what worked on Jeremy Renner.

The Avengers and Bourne star was talking with MTV on Wednesday about how he got involved with the Mission: Impossible franchise, which included a crazy story involving Star Wars: Episode VII director J.J. Abrams.

Renner had signed his deal to appear as Hawkeye "a good year" before filming was due to start on The Avengers. So as a result of trying to find different projects that could fill up his time before his work on the superhero epic needed to begin, he took a meeting with Mission: Impossible III's writer and director, JJ Abrams. Abrams was looking for an actor to play Joe's father in Super 8, and he believed that Renner would be perfect for the part.

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Renner did not. But as he read through the script and tried to figure out how he could tell the filmmaker that the part just wasn't right for him, Abrams interrupted Renner and asked him for his thoughts on the Mission: Impossible series. Slightly aghast, but intrigued, Renner declared that they were "fun" and that "Tom's great in them."

Based on that endorsement, Renner was told to drive to Paramount to meet Cruise, who almost immediately started hard selling him on the franchise. Eventually, Renner asked for time to think about it. A few minutes after he arrived at home, his phone rang. It Tom Cruise, hard selling him again. He ultimately caved in, and signed a three-movie deal to appear as Brandt, which began with Ghost Protocol.

While it was crazy that Cruise and Abrams were able to twist his arm, it worked out for the better as Renner is a fun compliment to Cruise in the franchise.

Mission: Impossible 5 is set to open in theaters on Christmas Day 2015.

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Mission: Impossible 5, Movies, Jeremy renner, Tom Cruise, J.j. abrams