The twist fromMission: Impossibleinvolving Jim Phelps' villainous reveal is still the boldest decision the movie franchise has made, almost 30 years later. When concerning theranking ofMission: Impossiblemovies, the original holds a unique position. The common consensus tends to be that the 1996 film is enjoyable in its own right and better than its immediate successor, but that it does not reach the heights of the modern version of the franchise that began with 2006’sMission: Impossible III.Harsh realities ofMission: Impossibleaside, though, it remains a well-liked installment.
Naturally, audiences will berewatching theMission: Impossibleseriesin preparation forThe Final Reckoningin May 2025. As a result, information onwhere to stream theMission: Impossiblemoviesis coveted, especially with the original movie turning 30 years old next year. Despite the almost 30th anniversary of the 1996 movie and the ways the franchise has upped its game considerably in the meantime,Mission: Impossibleretains one specific element of its plot that is bigger and, more importantly, bolder than any other decision the franchise has made.
Mission: Impossible 1996 Made Jim Phelps A Villain After Being The TV Show’s Lead
The Movie Drastically Changed A Legacy Character
The decision in question was making Jim Phelps the main villain ofMission: Impossible. For those unfamiliar with the original series on which the 1996 movie is based, this may seem like a regular choice that is not bold in any sense other than being a plot twist. However,Phelps was the lead character of the originalMission: Impossibleseries, meaning the decision for the 1996 movie risked tarnishing his legacy for those who spent years watching him as an IMF agent.
TheMission: Impossiblemovie series was a reboot of the show rather than a continuation, yet the former still would have caused viewers of the latter to dissect how original characters were rewritten.
In the original show, Phelps - then played by Peter Graves - played a similar role to that ofTom Cruise’s Ethan Huntin the film franchise. Phelps was the lead of six ofMission: Impossible’s seven seasons, often going above and beyond to protect the world and its citizens as part of the Impossible Mission Force. Therefore, making a character of the same name a villain who believes all heroes are corrupt was certainly an incredibly bold choice. Not only that, but the film seemingly kills Phelps early on. This alone could have been controversial, before bringing him back as a villain doubled down.
Jim Phelps' Villain Twist Received Some Backlash
Especially From Those Involved In The Original Show
To prove how bold a choice it was forMission: Impossibleto make Jim Phelps a villain, the movie received some backlash. While it was mostly enjoyed by audiences and critics upon its release, the primary source of this backlash was the original actors from theMission: ImpossibleTV series. Graves was one such actor who voiced his displeasure with the movie version of Phelps after being given the chance to portray him once more.Graves turned the offer down as he believed Phelps would never become a double agentagainst the IMF.
Another actor who disliked 1996’sMission: Impossiblewas Greg Morris, who played Barney Collier throughout the original show. In a report from theLA Timesafter Morris' death in the same year the movie was released, it was revealed that he walked out of the theater after watching only 40 minutes, dubbing it an abomination. Martin Landau, another original show actor, claimed that he passed on returning for the film as the original script killed members of the original team, Phelps included, and that he felt this was disrespectful (viaSlashfilm).
Mission: Impossible’s Jim Phelps Villain Reveal Probably Wouldn’t Happen Nowadays
Modern Legacy Movies Tend To Take Different Routes
With the controversy surrounding thisMission: Impossibledecision in mind, it is interesting to think about it in the context of modern legacy movies. It is safe to say that a choice as bold as this may not happen in a more modern rebooted series. A perfect example of this being reality is themodern reboot of21 Jump Streetwhich, likeMission: Impossible, was rebooted from an older TV show. In that movie - released in 2012, 16 years afterMission: Impossible- the original actors from the series made a cameo.
Mission: Impossible’s Jim Phelps villain twist likely would not happen in modern-day movies, so as to avoid the backlash that comes with it…
Johnny Depp and Peter DeLuise reprised their roles from the series as Peter Graves was given the chance to do inMission: Impossible. Rather than act out villainous twists on their characters, though, Depp and DeLuise appeared as two DEA agents, maintaining the view of them from the original show. This is a specific example, but it supports the idea thatMission: Impossible’s Jim Phelps villain twist likely would not happen in modern-day movies, so as to avoid the backlash that comes with it.
A contributing factor to this is the internet, namely social media. Social media sites have become places where anyone can talk about movies or TV shows, allowing for a lot of controversy and division to be given a platform. As a crude example, if a modern beloved show likeStranger Thingswas rebooted only with Eleven as the villain, the wave of backlash and blowback would likely be overwhelming. While not reboots,theStar Warssequel trilogy received similar backlash for depicting Luke Skywalker in a different way from the original films, provingMission: Impossible’s Phelps twist to be near, well, impossible to pull off today.
Why The Jim Phelps Villain Twist Works
Regardless Of The Controversy
All that being said, it cannot be denied that the Jim Phelps villain twist works for theMission: Impossiblemovie, especially when viewed in a vacuum as opposed to a reboot of the series and character.Mission: Impossibleteases that someone like Kittridge is the mole, as well as Hunt’s other allies, making audiences think that anyone involved could be a villain. Phelps is never even suspected, if not for his earlier “death” but due to potential prior knowledge of the TV character. For these reasons, the reveal that he isMission: Impossible’s villain is admittedly effective when removing outside controversy.
Future Mission: Impossible Movies Haven’t Come Close To Replicating The Surprise Of Jim Phelps Being A Villain
Villain Twists Are Not As Common In Mission: Impossible’s More Recent Installments
Another reason why the Jim Phelps twist can be argued to work effectively despite the backlash is the fact that theMission: Impossiblefranchise has failed to replicate it in the 29 years since. Every movie sinceMission: Impossiblehas had a very clear-cut villain, be it Owen Davian fromMission: Impossible III, Solomon Lane fromRogue NationandFallout, or the Entity and Gabriel fromDead ReckoningandThe Finale Reckoning. None of the subsequentM:Ifilms have had big villain twists in the third act, meaning the Phelps plot point remains singular to this day.
The onlyMission: Impossiblemovie that can be argued to have a similar twist isFallout, with Henry Cavill’s August Walker revealed as a villain after aiding Ethan Hunt. Even then, though, Walker’s villainous nature was theorized before the film was even released, and, in-universe, Hunt and his team suspected it. This made the reveal much less surprising, as did the lack of prior knowledge of Walker’s character that was present with Phelps'. Evidently,Mission: Impossible’s villain twist continues to be the boldest and most surprising choice in the film franchise for several, deep-rooted reasons.
