The Mission: Impossible film franchise should get ready to celebrate. With Mission: Impossible – Fallout, the sixth installment has eclipsed the legal age of alcohol consumption in the U.S. This is no small feat considering that fanbases are quick to jump ship these days with so many other options now available. What is it that keeps this franchise in the good graces of the public’s eye?
One of the reasons, obviously, is the face of the franchise, Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt. His complete and total devotion to his craft is definitely praise-worthy, especially when considering his commitment to the physicality of his character. Another reason is the ever-rotating carousel of baddies that surface that Ethan is constantly chasing. There’s always that uncertainty of who the villain, or villains in some cases, will end up being and what are his or her true motives.
Below is a list of the villainous antagonists revealed from each movie this far. Needless to say, if you have not seen each of the previous movies, you may not want to read past this point as the article will contain sight spoilers as to who the baddies are. And that brings an even larger question to light. With an average score of 75% percent on Rotten Tomatoes, why would you have not already watched every movie in this current film franchise?
Franz Krieger
Franz Krieger (Jean Reno) is the secondary antagonist in Mission: Impossible (1996). As a former member of Ethan Hunt’s team, IMF, Franz has personal reasons to be on the wrong side of the law.
Jim Phelps
Jim Phelps has been around since the days of the television series, although prior to this movie, he was portrayed by Peter Graves. Due to creative differences, Jon Voight took over the role as the greedy double-crossing main villain in Mission: Impossible (1996). The lesson of trusting no one, especially those close to you would be the first of an alarming trend to come.
Sean Ambrose
In Mission: Impossible II (2000), Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) is yet another former IMF agent that is using his skills and contacts to work outside the law. He intends to feed his extravagant tastes by selling a deadly Chimera virus.
John Musgrave
John Musgrave (Billy Crudup) works for the IMF but is a traitor who will eventually reveal himself in Mission: Impossible III (2006) as the plot thickens. His allegiance lies with the next man on our list.
Owen Davian
Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is a next-level villain in Mission: Impossible III (2006) who will not only go after Ethan Hunt, but also those that Ethan loves in order to get what he once. Not even a rabbit’s foot can change Owen’s luck after crossing that line.
Sabine Moreau
Sabine Moreau (Léa Seydoux) is the lone female antagonist on our list. The French mercenary for hire must deadlier than her looks giveaway and takes most by surprise. She uses her harmless looks in her favor in the beginning of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) and that sets a ominous tone for what’s to come.
Marius Wistrom
As the secondary antagonist in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011), Marius Wistrom (Samuli Edelmann) is a contract killer who has his eyes set on Ethan Hunt.
Kurt Hendricks
Kurt Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist), also known as Cobalt, is the main antagonist in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011). Looking to instigate a nuclear conflict between Russia and the United States, Hendricks ha much higher level of destruction in his mind.
Janik Vinter
Janik Vinter (Jens Hultén), aka The Bone Collector, is second-in-command for a mysterious terrorist network known as The Syndicate. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) is like an onion peeling back layer after layer of hidden agendas.
Atlee
Chairman Atlee (Simon McBurney) is a high ranking MI6 operative and is also the founder of The Syndicate. His involvement in nefarious activities doesn’t come to light for quite some time in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015).
Solomon Lane
Solomon Lane (Sean Harris) is the baddest of the bad and is the main antagonist in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015). As a matter of fact, he’s so villainous that he’ll also be making an appearance in the next chapter of Mission: Impossible. His thirst for power cannot be quenched in just one movie apparently.
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With all of the twists, turns and double-crosses we’ve witnessed over the previous movies, there is only one thing we can be certain of…uncertainty. This franchise is right up there with James Bond in terms of duplicitous dealings when it comes to the antagonists. There’s no doubt that Mission: Impossible – Fallout will have a twist or two up its sleeve. Be among the first to discover the truth when it opens in theaters July 27.
I am going to see this tonight, hope it is a good flick for a Monday night, missing wrestling to go see this