Just as the “Summer Blockbuster” section of the 2025 movie schedule is getting underway, Christopher McQuarrie’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning will be taking over thousands of screens around the world as legions of moviegoers pile in to see Tom Cruise’s next big stunt. As a longtime fan of the Mission: Impossible movies, I’ll be there right beside them. However, there are some big questions I need the upcoming action movie to answer.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to come with me as I dive into six of the biggest questions I have about The Final Reckoning, and the Mission: Impossible franchise as a whole before Ethan Hunt kicks off his next, and potentially final mad dash to save the world from total destruction.
(Queue up the Mission: Impossible theme…)
What Exactly Is The Rabbit's Foot?
When the first Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning teaser dropped back in November 2024, I was blown away by the massive callbacks to earlier entries, especially the “Rabbit’s Foot.” This mysterious weapon of mass destruction introduced as the MacGuffin in Mission: Impossible III nearly 20 years ago hasn’t been featured or discussed in the franchise since Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) defeated Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman) way back in 2006, and I honestly forgot about it.
But the re-emergence of the device all these years later has me wondering, what exactly is the Rabbit’s Foot? I know it’s a device that could bring an end to humanity as we know it and that it’s highly sought after (presumably by the Entity this time around), but what is it besides some mysterious biological weapon? The third movie never really did a good job of explaining things, and I hope we’re not left out in the cold once again.
Is Eugene Kittridge A Villain, Hero, Or Something In Between?
After being away from the franchise for 25-plus years, Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny) returned in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, only this time he was the CIA director after moving on as IMF chief during his five-movie absence. And while I’m glad to have both the character and Czerny (his work in Clear and Present Danger is still the stuff of legend), I’m wondering if he’ll be a villain, a hero, or something in between and more than just a perennial thorn in Ethan Hunt’s side.
In his first two appearances in the franchise so far, Kittridge has been a little bit of both an ally and a nemesis of Hunt and his IMF team, which has created a fun and engaging dynamic along the way. I wouldn’t be mad if The Final Reckoning leaves this ambiguous, but some closure would be nice by the time the credits roll, especially if this ends up being the final movie in the series.
How Did The Entity Go Rogue?
A hyperintelligent sentient artificial intelligence has been at the center of some of the best sci-fi movies over the years, and in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Ethan Hunt’s IMF team saw one of the most dangerous AIs yet with the “Entity.” Based on what I’ve seen from the latest The Final Reckoning trailer, it looks like the evil and mysterious AI is once again going to be a major part of the movie.
If that’s so, I hope the movie dives into how the Entity went rogue in the first place. It was revealed in Dead Reckoning that it was created by the United States government as a military tool, but at some point, it went into business for itself and set off the events of the movie (and the upcoming sequel). I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if the new Mission: Impossible movie opens with the entity’s backstory.
Why Was Gabriel Chosen By The Entity To Carry Out Its Mission?
While it’s made clear in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning that the Entity selected Gabriel (Esai Morales) to be its messenger and carry out its goal of recovering its keys, it’s never really made all that clear as to why he was selected outside of his history with Ethan Hunt. But with Hunt having that history (good, bad, and very bad), the AI could have chosen anyone willing and able to act as its assistant and make sure the mission was successful. That said, I think there has to be something more there.
I need Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning to answer these questions: Why exactly was Gabriel selected? Was it his connection to Hunt, was it his name, is Gabriel even his name? If handled properly, I think Morales’ character could end up being one of the franchise’s best villains.
What Is The Full History Between Ethan Hunt And Gabriel?
In the past, Ethan Hunt has been haunted by ghosts from his past, and it is no different for Gabriel. Long before the two had a killer knife fight during the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning ending, it was revealed that Gabriel killed Ethan’s lover before Hunt started working with IMF. This leads me to believe that their connection – they are mortal enemies after all – didn’t just start with that tragic killing, but instead earlier before that.
Some big questions I have as I prepare myself for The Final Reckoning are about their shared history. How far does it go? Were they once friends before becoming adversaries? Why are they so similar yet so different? Hopefully, these are all answered by the time the credits roll.
Is This Really Going To Be The Final Mission: Impossible Movie?
Depending on who’s being asked and when the conversation is going down, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is or isn’t the last movie in the franchise. I was in the “this series isn’t ending” camp until I saw the most recent trailer with its “one last run” vibes running all through its two-minute runtime. Couple that with talk of an extended standing ovation when the movie premieres at Cannes in May 2025, and I’m thinking that Paramount is actually going to end this franchise after all these years.
But still, is this actually the END, and if so, how is it going to end? Will Ethan Hunt get to retire on a beach somewhere, or will he suffer the same fate as Daniel Craig’s James Bond in No Time to Die? I’m honestly torn because I love these movies but also don’t want them going on and on for years and decades to come.
I guess I'll find out if these questions get answered when Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning opens on May 23rd. Until then, I'll just have to wait...
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