We told you just last month that Simon Pegg (Paul, Shaun of the Dead) was in negotiations to reprise his role as the lab geek, Benji Dunn in the next installment of Paramount Pictures’ Mission: Impossible franchise, Mission: Impossible IV. Now, Ving Rhames (Piranha 3D) himself confirmed on Lopez Tonight that he would be returning to the franchise as Ethan Hunt’s tech expert, Luther Stickell in Mission: Impossible IV

Tom Cruise will return as Ethan Hunt and will produce Mission: Impossible IV alongside Paula Wagner and Mission: Impossible 3 director J.J. Abrams, who worked on the story for the latest installment with screenwriters André Nemec and Josh Appelbaum.

Director Brad Bird (The Incredibles) is planning is for an early September shoot and Mission: Impossible IV is slated to hit theaters on December 16th, 2011.