Simon Pegg Wouldn't Be Surprised If Benji Died In Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two
Brian De Palma's 1996 "Mission: Impossible" movie subverted everything the TV show was about. A lot of "Mission: Impossible" focused on the team dynamic, with each member of the IMF working together to undo the week's hideous act of terrorism or espionage. De Palma's movie assembled a team, set them up on a mission, and then shockingly killed them all off. The only survivor was Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), a new character that hadn't been part of the show. Cruise has become the mastermind of the "Mission: Impossible" movies ever since, standing in as the film series' unflappable and indestructible leader. The TV show was never about heroes of that ilk, and it took several sequels before an IMF team began to form again.
J.J. Abrams' "Mission: Impossible III," for instance, introduced the character of Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), a pencil-pusher back at the IMF home office who, during the course of the film, becomes one of the only people Ethan Hunt can trust. Benji isn't in the movie much, but provides valuable intel by the climax, assuring that Ethan may call on him again in the future.
Which, of course, he does — Benji has appeared in all the subsequent sequels. In the most recent film, "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning, Part One," The team includes Ethan, Benji, Isla Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), and the reliable Luther (Ving Rhames).
Of course, at this late date, the stakes are higher than ever in the "Mission: Impossible" universe, and Cruise's immortal heroism may be cracking. It's entirely possible, then, that the team — for the first time since 1996 — may start getting picked off. Pegg certainly feels that way. In a recent interview with CinemaBlend, he admitted that Benji may not make it out of the next film alive.
Benji: The Hunted
Simon Pegg, of course, isn't happy about the fact that Benji may die. In the video interview, he pointed out that Benji has been a part of his life for many years. But also that, because of the nature of the "Mission: Impossible" movies, he knows the mission may eventually come first, despite certain characters' insistence to the contrary. Luther has a line of dialogue in "Dead Reckoning" where he reminds Ethan that, as IMF agents, their lives are expendable. Ethan insists that is not acceptable. Pegg knows the truth though. He said:
"I think that's something that has always been the case but no more, sort of, clear is it in these stories that we — as I think Luther says -– we don't matter as much as the mission, and any one of us at any time could face the end. And if that happened, I'd be sad. He's been in my life for 17 years. I've watched him, been him, growing up, becoming an older and more mature agent, and it's kind of a ... they live a sort of tragic life in a way."
Benji dying for the sake of the mission would indeed be tragic, as he has come a long way from the nervous, affable fellow seen in "Mission: Impossible III." He went from having a normal life to being a noble shadow, willing to die to protect Earth from evil spies and terrorists. It would, of course, be the noble, brave, and heroic thing to do, but it seems that Benji doesn't exist outside of missions.
With the release of "Dead Reckoning, Part Two," currently aiming for a June 28, 2024 premiere, fans may have to steel themselves for some heady losses and sad moments.