Over the course of the past 27 years and six movies, Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt has done things that would have killed, or at least injured a normal person. Despite not having any superpowers, at least that we know of, the IMF lead has risked life and limb to not only complete his various missions, but also protect those he holds closest to his heart, be they his dedicated team or loved ones.
As part of our partnership with AMC Theatres, where you can now purchase tickets to see this highly anticipated action movie, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One on the big screen (if you choose to accept it), we’ve decided to go back through the first six entries in the franchise and pick out the most heroic Ethan Hunt scene from each movie. Each moment is great in its own way, so please enjoy.
Ethan Hunt Steals The NOC List (Mission: Impossible)
The Mission: Impossible film franchise, which is an adaptation of the 1960s TV series of the same name, kicked off in 1996 with Brian De Palma’s spy-action movie that follows Ethan Hunt as he attempts to accomplish two objectives: find the stolen CIA NOC list that could expose countless undercover agents and also uncover the identity of the mole who sold out and killed his IMF team.
Both of these goals come into play in the iconic CIA headquarters scene where Hunt rappels into a secured room to make a copy of the NOC list which he can then use to draw out the mole and find out who killed his friends at the beginning of the movie. Sure, he’s not saving the world from destruction like in later movies, but Hunt’s commitment to his team (even those who have died) is heroic to say the least. Plus, this scene is still so awesome all these years later.
Hunt Refuses To Shoot Nyah Nordoff-Hall After She's Infected With The Chimera Virus (Mission: Impossible 2)
Though it doesn’t rank high on the list of best movies in the franchise, John Woo’s 2000 spy-action film, Mission: Impossible 2, does feature some incredible moments of self-sacrifice and heroism by both Ethan Hunt and Nyah Nordoff-Hall (Thandiwe Newton) that are still as impactful 23 years later.
The big McGuffin of the franchise’s second installment is the Chimera virus, a deadly biological weapon that could cause a pandemic if those infected don’t get access to the cure within 20 hours. When Nyah injects the last remaining sample into her body in hopes that Hunt will shoot her to prevent its spread, he instead takes the more heroic and dangerous route of promising to save her. This tense and emotional scene is another example of Hunt being willing to risk it all to protect someone, a common theme throughout the series.
Ethan Tries To Deactivate The Explosive Charge In Lindsey's Head (Mission: Impossible III)
In 2006, J.J. Abrams gave the world Mission: Impossible III, a film that introduces one of the franchise’s best villains in Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Owen Davian, another McGuffin in the form of the Rabbit’s Foot, and one of the most heroic yet tragic scenes in Ethan Hunt’s story so far.
After learning that his former protégé, Lindsey Farms (Keri Russell), has been taken hostage after getting too close to Davian and his arms dealing syndicate, Hunt quickly leads a rescue operation. But upon rescuing Lindsey, the IMF team lead discovers that an explosive device has been implanted into her head and armed to explode. In a mad dash, Hunt fights like hell to save the young woman, though he is ultimately not quick enough. Like any hero, he uses the death as motivation to put an end to Davian and his ruthless tactics.
Hunt Stops A Nuke From Destroying San Francisco (Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol)
Brad Bird’s 2011 addition to the franchise, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, sees Ethan Hunt and his team go off the grid after being falsely accused of carrying out a deadly bombing attack that destroys much of the Kremlin. But like in the 1996 franchise starter, Hunt and his team don’t just have to worry about clearing their names, they also have to prevent another attack, one that could lead to nuclear war.
Near the end of the movie, we’re treated to a scene that would be more iconic if the whole Burj Khalifa sequence earlier on never happened. In a race against time (with a nuclear warhead moments away from hitting San Francisco), Hunt drives off the side of a parking garage with a fall that has to be at least five or six stories, and reaches the device that can cancel the attack just before the missile hits the Transamerica Pyramid.
Hunt Steals The Syndicate's Nerve Gas (Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation)
Christopher McQuarrie, who would go on to direct the remaining franchise installments up to the current day, hit the ground running with Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation in 2015. The movie, which upped the ante in pretty much every conceivable way, also starts off with not only one of the most absurd stunts but also one of Ethan Hunt’s most heroic moments: stealing the Syndicate’s nerve gas after hanging onto a plane as it takes off.
This is one of those scenes that’s so much fun to watch and think about that you almost forget that it had a purpose outside of getting us to rush to the theater to see it on the biggest screen possible. There are few action movie characters that make looking like a hero so badass.
Ethan Hunt Secures The Detonator (Mission: Impossible - Fallout)
With Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Christopher McQuarrie took what he accomplished in Rogue Nation and turned it up a few notches to create one of the best action movies of all time. This time around, some familiar baddies and new antagonists alike form what is called the Apostles, an even more zealous offshoot of the Syndicate from the previous entry. So, who better to save the day than Ethan Hunt and his IMF team?
We could talk about the awesome HALO jump sequence, that crazy scene where August Walker (Henry Cavill) reloads his fists in the middle of a restroom brawl, or that bonkers helicopter chase, but we have to focus on heroics and not just excitement. That being said, at the end of the movie, when a nuclear winter becomes a real possibility, Hunt is able to somehow secure the detonator and disarm it just as the rest of his team cut the wires of the various nuclear devices. Down-to-the-wire heroism is the best kind, right?
We can’t wait to see what Ethan Hunt has up his sleeves with Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, but if it’s anything like previous installments in the franchise, it’s going to be a lot of fun to watch. If you’re just as stoked for what’s to come, you’ll probably want to go ahead and purchase your tickets before you’re out of time. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One arrives in theaters on July 12th.
