The news of Gene Hackman’s passing was an undeniable tragedy.
This was, after all, a man who had contributed so much to the world of cinema through performances that seemed both challenging and extremely comfortable. While he had not performed in a movie since 2004’s “Welcome to Mooseport,” an inglorious final role if there ever was one, there was always the idea that he could come back – would come back – if the character was too good to pass up. (Famously, he was courted to be in “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” in 2011, starring alongside his “The Firm” costar Tom Cruise, in a role that eventually went to an uncredited Tom Wilkinson.)