The Final Reckoning Doesn't Correct The Mission: Impossible Franchise's Biggest Mistake

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Spoilers for "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning" follow.

"Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning" has gotten some mixed responses thus far (including from /Film), and with good reason. Belabored by exposition and fanservice, "The Final Reckoning" feels plodding in a way the previous movies haven't. Even the praised third act felt too close to the climax of the sixth movie "Mission: Impossible – Fallout." (In both, Ethan is in an aerial chase while his team has to defuse a nuclear explosion.)

"The Final Reckoning" is the worst movie in the series since "Mission: Impossible 2," but while that one could be forgotten as a bump in the road, this finale can't be brushed aside so easily. Frankly, the cracks were showing in the last movie, "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning," too.

The biggest crack there was killing off Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson). Introduced in the fifth "Mission: Impossible" movie, 2015's "Rogue Nation" (the first directed by Christopher McQuarrie), Ilsa was an undercover MI6 agent operating inside the Syndicate, a villainous rogue intelligence agency. She was set up as a femme fatale (her name is Faust), but despite backstabbing Ethan a few times, she chose his side in the end.

Ilsa was Ferguson's breakout role, and with good reason. She's been acting since 1999 (with several roles in Swedish and British TV), but "Rogue Nation" made her a star. All she needed to get there was a huge stage, because she has screen presence to rival Cruise's; Ilsa can match wits with Ethan just as Ferguson can match Cruise's charisma. When Ilsa returned for the 2018 sequel "Mission: Impossible – Fallout," it felt like the series had found someone who could stand alongside Ethan/Cruise, or even succeed him as its lead.

And then "Dead Reckoning" killed Ilsa off, transparently replacing her with master thief turned IMF agent Grace (Hayley Atwell). Now, after "Dead Reckoning," there was a lot of speculation that Ilsa might be brought back next time. "Mission: Impossible" is all about subterfuge and the characters often use perfect latex face masks. It'd have been easy to retcon Ilsa's death as a ruse or part of a secret plan, especially since she does have a history of keeping Ethan in the dark. If "Mission: Impossible" could bring back Kittridge (Henry Czerny) 27 years late, it could bring back Ilsa Faust. 

Does "The Final Reckoning" confirm these suspicions and bring back Ilsa? 

Nope! 

Not only does Ilsa stay dead by the time the credits roll, no-one — Ethan included — even mentions her during the movie!

After the release of "Dead Reckoning" in 2023, Christopher McQuarrie described killing off Ilsa as a "difficult choice," but said it showed the "continuum" of how Ethan Hunt's journey goes on as he loses people.

It's since come to light that Ilsa's death wasn't just a dramatic decision: Ferguson wanted out. Speaking to the Wrap in 2024, Ferguson said that while she enjoyed making the "Mission: Impossible" movies and loves Ilsa's character, after three movies she'd had her fill.

"Selfishly, that's a lot of time to make a 'Mission' film. And unless you're going to have a lot of screen time, that's a lot of time sitting around waiting to film a huge movie that could take over a year to film... You have to literally jump when they say jump, and that's why it's amazing. You're highly trained, highly skilled. It is so intoxicatingly exciting when you're rolling, but there's a lot of waiting and the more characters that are brought in, the more waiting."

While a lot of "Mission: Impossible" fans probably would've been happy with Ilsa as Ethan's permanent partner, that wasn't how Ferguson saw her character.

"Ilsa was becoming a team player. And we all can want different things, but for me, Ilsa was rogue. Ilsa was naughty. Ilsa was unpredictable. There were a lot of characters coming in, not leaving enough space for what she had been."

So based on this, it seems like McQuarrie's hands may have been tied. There's no Ilsa Faust without Rebecca Ferguson. If Ferguson was walking away, then McQuarrie must've thought it was better to give Ilsa a definitive send-off instead of letting her vanish offscreen. But the problem is that "Dead Reckoning" botched Ilsa's death. 

During "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning," the super AI known as the Entity — via its acolyte Gabriel (Esai Morales) — predicts that Ethan will have to choose between letting Ilsa or Grace die. The drama of this does not work at all.

You're telling me Ethan has to decide between one of his closest friends (and implied lover) and a woman he's known for a day, who has already betrayed him over and over? I'm sorry, but even for Ethan "I care about the one life as much as I care about the millions" Hunt that shouldn't be a choice at all! Yet the film acts like Ethan is being forced to choose between two loved ones. Expecting the audience to buy that is borderline insulting.

Then, Ilsa dies fighting Gabriel to save Grace, as Ethan arrives just too late to save Ilsa. Her death is so abrupt, frustrating, and brushed past so quickly that it's no surprise that people thought the movie was pulling a fast one. Ilsa's demise has also been criticized as an example of "fridging," where a female character is killed off to give a male character reason to mope. It absolutely is, and it feels even worse — and I'll say it, misogynistic — because the movie so quickly replaces Ilsa with Grace. There's a gross feeling of "trading in the old model," Bond Girl style.

Now, Hayley Atwell is awesome. I've laughed at the Marvel Cinematic Universe's habit of bringing Peggy Carter back again and again, but I get it. Atwell has movie star charisma, just like Ferguson does, so it's hard to let her go. In hindsight, it feels like Atwell was cast in "Mission: Impossible" because Cruise and McQuarrie knew they needed an equally impressive actress to step into Ferguson's shoes. But as cool as Hayley Atwell is, Grace couldn't replace Ilsa. Rebecca Ferguson is truly one-of-a-kind, and "Mission: Impossible" is worse off without her.

"Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning" is playing in theaters.