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Kittridge
Eugene Kittridge
"Our lives are the sum of our choices. And we cannot escape the past."
Click here to see him in Dead Reckoning
"This mission is going to cost you dearly."Played By: Henry Czerny
Dubbed in French by: Jean-Daniel Nicodème
Appearances: Mission: Impossible | Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
"Everyone has pressure points, Barnes. You find something that's personally important to someone and... you squeeze."
The chief of the IMF in the first film.
- Bastardly Speech: He makes one to Hunt in Dead Reckoning while trying to convince him to help the United States gain control of the Entity and use it to establish world domination, claiming that ecological collapse is right around the corner and the world is going to go into a shooting war over the last few bits of usable resources before too long. A disgusted Hunt asks him if he's even listening to himself.
- The Bus Came Back: After six films and twenty-seven years, Kittridge returns in Dead Reckoning.
- Friendly Enemy: 27 years after his first time being an Inspector Javert that Ethan managed to turn to his side, Kittridge and Ethan understand each other enough to simultaneously oppose each other yet still cooperate when pragmatism demands it.
- Heel–Face Revolving Door: In Dead Reckoning, he wants the key to Sevastapol and the power that comes with it. While he understands Ethan's position of not wanting the Entity to fall into the wrong hands, he deems that the best way to do that is to ensure that he gets his hands on the key and nobody else, and he also won't let Ethan destroy it, either. To that end, he manipulates Ethan and his team to get it for him, not telling them about his amoral motives.
- Hero Antagonist: He genuinely believes that Ethan is the mole. Upon learning that Ethan was framed, and that Phelps is the real mole, Kittridge works with Ethan to take Phelps down. Decades later, he ends up being this once again as he tries to stop Ethan from getting the key to Sevastapol and destroy the Entity before the U.S. could make use of it.
- Humiliation Conga: He suffers this in Dead Reckoning. First, he is intimidated and overpowered by Ethan after the latter disrupts an Intelligence meeting. Then, Ethan knocks him unconscious with a Tranquilizer Dart. Later, he is deceived by Grace when she is disguised as the White Widow. Finally, he is verbally shut down by one of his subordinates when the latter tosses his words back in his face.
- Inspector Javert:
- In the original film, he accuses Ethan of killing the team and pursues him everywhere he goes.
- He still has shades of this in Dead Reckoning, though only for public-facing appearances — he notes that he has to send the government after Ethan because the latter controls the Key. This includes sending a task force that includes Briggs and Dejas after Hunt.
- A Lighter Shade of Black: While his Bastardly Speech makes it clear that the amoral United States defense apparatus getting the ability to control the Entity would be a disaster for humanity as a whole, Dead Reckoning still shows that Kittridge is doing evil for the sake of his country, and he's the lesser evil for most of the film compared to the Entity and its pawn Gabriel running loose. And it's worth noting that his own boss, the Director of National Intelligence, is hoping to collaborate with the Entity to purge the rest of the government of "old-fashioned thinking" and set himself up as dictator of the ultimate super-state; Kittridge isn't seeking the key out of personal ambitions.
- Mission Control: He is responsible for recording the mission briefings delivered to IMF operatives in the first film. And, despite being promoted to the director of the CIA by the time Dead Reckoning begins, it's clear that he's still doing it, as he authorized two missions: one for a group of bounty hunters to find and kill Ilsa Faust and recover one-half of the cruciform key, and another to Ethan to find and do the same thing.
- The Mole: Suspected to be one in the first film but is proven not to be.
- Pet the Dog: While he's still all business when dealing with her, the fact that he knows Alanna/the White Widow since she was a young child under her mother's care means he's friendlier than usual when conducting business with her as an adult (or rather, Grace disguised as her). He's also quite affable towards Grace once she turns herself in at the end of Dead Reckoning after she explains that Ethan told her that she can trust Kittridge and wishes to officially join the IMF, a proposal that Kittridge takes into consideration despite Grace's shady background.
- Properly Paranoid: Being an IMF Leader, it may be natural to assume that the only one guy not killed in a botched IMF mission will be the mole.
- Rank Up: By the time of Dead Reckoning, he's been promoted to the Director of Central Intelligence, replacing Erica Sloane.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Played with. Initially suspects Ethan of being the mole, but after Ethan proves Phelps is the mole, helps to take him down. Zigzagged in Dead Reckoning, where he's one of the government officials trying to get control of the Entity and use it to establish world domination, even if he's firmly A Lighter Shade of Black compared to the Entity itself and the Director of National Intelligence who's hoping to use it to fulfill his personal ambitions of world domination.
- Red Herring: Kittridge's rather snide behavior at the restaurant and accusing Ethan of being the mole leads the audience to believe that he might be a villain working to frame Ethan. And when Ethan finds Phelps still alive, Phelps tells him exactly that, that Kittridge is the mole. However, Ethan sees through it and figures out that Kittridge is innocent while Phelps is the real mole.
- Sitcom Archnemesis: Kittridge isn't a villain or an antagonist. Rather, he's Ethan's adversary within the intelligence community and the two butt heads because they don't agree on how to achieve their mutual objectives.
- Smug Snake:
- A Hero Antagonist example, as he seems pretty pleased with himself as he accuses Ethan of being the mole, clearly satisfied that he has who seems to be the traitor right in his clutches. But Ethan manages to escape pretty easily with the help of some explosive chewing gum, and while Kittridge makes a good effort of trying to catch him, Ethan is always one step ahead. He gets a straightforward heroic example when he contacts the real mole, Phelps, and smugly makes it clear that the gig is up.
- Upgrades to Manipulative Bastard 27 years later as the CIA Director, having gained a greater understanding of the IMF, and Ethan in particular, and his own skill set as an intelligence administrator, even if he’s still outclassed by Ethan and the Entity… especially since he involved Ethan in the Gambit Pileup of the story despite knowing he might be Out-Gambitted by the same man. While his own initial objective is failed and his pawns are outmaneuvered (as is he), Ethan remaining in the game is portrayed as an acceptable alternative.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: As seen in the first film and Dead Reckoning, Kittridge and Ethan don't like each other but understand that they both have the same ultimate goal.
Swanbeck
Mission Commander Swanbeck
Played By: Anthony Hopkins
Dubbed in French by: Bernard Dhéran
Appearances: Mission: Impossible II
Swanbeck: You mean it will be difficult.
Ethan: Very.
Swanbeck: Well, Mr. Hunt, this is not 'Mission: Difficult', it's 'Mission: Impossible'. 'Difficult' should be a walk in the park for you.
Ethan: Very.
Swanbeck: Well, Mr. Hunt, this is not 'Mission: Difficult', it's 'Mission: Impossible'. 'Difficult' should be a walk in the park for you.
Ethan's IMF superior during the second film.
- Benevolent Boss: Is generally a nice guy, and even lives up to his promise that Nyah's criminal record will be erased.
- The Cameo: Sir Anthony Hopkins appears in an uncredited role.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Disappears in the third film with no explanation as to why this is so.
- Cool Old Guy: Courtesy of being played by Anthony Hopkins.
- Deadpan Snarker: His quote about the situation being a "Mission: Difficult".Swanbeck: Well, this is not mission difficult, Mr. Hunt, it's mission impossible. "Difficult" should be a walk in the park for you.
- Expy: He plays M to Ethan's James Bond.
- I Gave My Word: He lives up to his end of the bargain with Nyah, having her criminal record wiped and allowing her to live freely.
- Politically Incorrect Hero: His comment about Nyah indicates him having a less than flattering opinion about women.Ethan: She's got no training for this kind of thing.
Swanbeck: What? To go to bed with a man and lie to him? She's a woman, she's got all the training she needs. - Put on a Bus: Per usual Mission: Impossible fare, that is the first and last time we see Swanbeck.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: He's pretty good as a boss, being respectful to Ethan and later keeping his word to wipe Nyah's criminal record.
Musgrave
John Musgrave
Played By: Billy Crudup
Dubbed in French By: Fabrice Josso
Appearances: Mission: Impossible III
"I know we've joked about it, but I'm always this close on begging you to stop training our people and get your ass back in the field."
An old friend of Ethan and an IMF veteran agent.
- Alas, Poor Villain: He's an evil and smug man, but Musgrave's death is a bit tragic due to how shocked he looks and how squeaky his voice becomes. It can also be interpreted as him accepting death, as he doesn't get angry at Hunt or try killing his wife Julia as he dies, he just looks in shock at Julia before falling over.
- Beneath the Mask: Musgrave seems humble and reserved, yet kind and a deeply loyal friend to Ethan. After he's revealed to be The Mole, and Musgrave reveals himself to be a ruthless, fanatical Knight Templar and a Smug Snake par excellance.
- Big Bad: He's the real mastermind behind the plot to obtain the "Rabbit's Foot" so he can use it to start a war in the Middle East.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: He and Davian are partners in a scheme to kickstart a war in the Middle East.
- Big Bad Friend: He teams up with Davian to release the "Rabbit's Foot", but he still seems to genuinely consider Ethan a friend and apparently went out his way to talk Davian into sparing Ethan when he had him captured. At the same time, it's entirely possible that was out of Pragmatic Villainy (see below) and he doesn't have any hesitation about killing him later.
- Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: To Jim Phelps. They're both moles who betrayed the IMF and were close friends with Ethan before their Face Heel Turns, but Phelps is motivated by greed and his disillusionment with the U.S. Musgrave on the other hand is a self-proclaimed patriot and Knight Templar motivated by a sense of nationalism. Where Phelps held no illusions about being a traitor, Musgrave still views himself as loyal to the IMF, and simply as working around an incompetent administration.
- Enemy Mine: He considers Davian to be a disposable criminal (referring to him as "a cockroach") and is only using him to create chaos with the rabbit's foot as a pretense to start a war in the Middle East.
- Evil All Along: He's a trusted friend of Ethan and much more affable than Brassel, making it a surprise when he is revealed to be The Mole and part of the Big Bad Duumvirate.
- Evil Colonialist: Musgrave's plan is to kickstart a war in the Middle East so the US will take over the region and rebuild it to their liking as an American colony in all but name.
- Face–Heel Turn: Sometime prior to III, Musgrave went rogue and allied with Davian.
- Fallen Hero: He was a close friend of Ethan's and a loyal IMF agent before allying with Davian out of his fanatical nationalism.
- Faux Affably Evil: Musgrave seems like a nice guy and a loyal friend, but in reality, he's a ruthless nationalist who wants to escalate the War on Terror so the US can take over the Middle East.
- Friendly Enemy: He remains affable to Ethan after revealing he's The Mole, and genuinely still seems to view him as a friend despite now wanting to murder him.
- He Knows Too Much:
- He helped Davian capture Farris because she had realized there was a mole in the IMF, although Musgrave's intention was not to kill her, and he tried to convince her Brassel was the mole so it wouldn't be necessary.
- When interrogating Ethan, Musgrave admits he will still kill him because he knows Musgrave is the mole. He offers to spare Julia's life if Ethan tells him what he knows, as she's Locked Out of the Loop about the IMF.
- Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: He scolds Ethan after Brassel has him detained, only for him to then provide Ethan with the means to escape and reveal he was faking. Then it turns out he was just doing that so he could manipulate Ethan into procuring the Rabbit's Foot for him and Davian.
- Knight Templar: Musgrave is fanatically nationalistic, and genuinely believes that the U.S. for all intents and purposes taking over the entire Middle East is for the best. He's utterly ruthless about seeing this goal through, betraying the IMF and being willing to kill even his closest friends to get what he wants.
- Laser-Guided Karma: He helps Davian kidnap Julia despite her being his best friend's wife. Julia later winds up being the one to kill him.
- The Man Behind the Man: To Davian. Davian has the resources and manpower, but Musgrave is the one who came up with the plan he was following and fed him intelligence to keep him one step ahead of the IMF.
- Manipulative Bastard: Musgrave exploits Ethan's disregard for authority and desire to save Julia to frame him as The Mole by letting him escape and keep Brassel off his tracks.
- The Mole: He turns out to be Davian's collaborator in the IMF, not Brassel.
- Mole in Charge: He's in charge of directing operations for IMF'S Virginia office, and he's revealed to be the mole feeding Davian information.
- Motive Rant: While interrogating Ethan, he explains both why he betrayed the IMF and allied with Davian out of his fanatical nationalism.Ethan: You told him. That's how Davian knew Lindsey was coming. You told him.
Musgrave: I thought you could get her back. But I wasn't gonna let Brassel of all people undo the work I've done. I took action, Ethan, on behalf of the working families of our country. The Armed Forces, the White House. I'd had enough of Brassel and his sanctimony IMF executive director. He's an affirmative action poster boy. You grab Davian like he wanted, then what? Davian's a weed. You cut him out, two more spring up like him the next day. You arrest him, then what? You use him. Collaborate with him. And it's Christmas. - Nepotism: One of Brassel's remarks implies that Musgrave got his job because his father is a high-ranking politician.Brassel: I don't care if your daddy plays golf with the President. This is intelligence. So far I haven't seen any.
- Nice Guy: Musgrave is a friendly, polite man and a loyal friend to Ethan. He's certainly much nicer than Brassel. It's brutally subverted when he's revealed to be part of the Big Bad Duumvirate and Davian's mole in the IMF.
- Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: He frames himself as a Well-Intentioned Extremist simply trying to end the War on Terror, but he's motivated more by his colonialism and his bigotry-tinged nationalism than any real altruism.
- Obvious Villain, Secret Villain: He's the Secret Villain to Davian's Obvious Villain. Davian is an openly evil Arms Dealer established as dangerous from the beginning, while Musgrave is a trusted friend of Ethan and seemingly kind and humble before being revealed as a mole.
- Patriotic Fervor: Musgrave's Face–Heel Turn is motivated by his nationalism. He believes so firmly in the U.S.'s government and infrastructure that he intends to kickstart a war in the Middle East, which would kill countless Americans and Middle Easterners alike, so that the U.S. can turn the region into another democracy and an American colony in all but name.
- Pet the Dog:
- While interrogating Ethan, Musgrave admits that while he did help Davian capture Farris, his plan was for Ethan's team to rescue her. Davian murdered her on his own For the Evulz.
- He convinces Davian to spare Ethan and Julia only so he can confirm if the Rabbit's Foot is real, but Musgrave seemingly sincerely offers to let Julia go if Ethan cooperates with him - although he makes it clear he'll still kill Ethan.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: He calls Brassel, who's African-American, an "affirmative action poster-boy" and implies that's the only reason he's in his position as IMF director.
- Post-Final Boss: He's the final villain to be taken down, but the confrontation with him comes after Ethan's climactic fight with Davian and is just Julia quickly shooting him while Ethan lays unconscious.
- Pragmatic Villainy: He went out of his way to get Davian to spare Ethan and Julia, but it's likely he only did this so he could stay on Ethan's good side and get him to spill what the IMF knew about his plans.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: He's the polite and reserved Blue to Brassel's abrasive and authoritative Red. Ironically, he's also the Red to Davian's Blue, as Musgrave is a passionate Well-Intentioned Extremist where Davian is calm and stoic to the point of being emotionless.
- Smug Snake: After being revealed to be Evil All Along, Musgrave is quite smug and condescending towards Ethan. He makes an effort to be friendly, but it's obviously forced to an extent, and he clearly believes Ethan can't do anything to stop him. He pays dearly for this.
- Supporting Leader: He's Ethan's direct superior, although Brassel has authority over him, and is responsible for overseeing the operations IMF carries out. However, Ethan is clearly the protagonist and keeps Musgrave out of the loop for certain operations to protect him from any blowback.
- Walking Spoiler: As evidenced by the spoiler marks.
Brassel
Theodore Brassel
"This is intelligence. So far I have not seen any."
Played By: Laurence Fishburne
Dubbed in French by: Paul Borne
Appearances: Mission: Impossible III
"You can look at me with those judgmental, incriminating eyes for all you want, but I bullshit you not. I'll bleed on the flag to make sure the stripes stay red."
Ethan's superior during the third film.
- Badass Boast: Would "bleed on the flag to make sure the stripes stay red".
- Benevolent Boss: In the end he's this. He tells Ethan to enjoy his honeymoon.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Sadly, never seen again after III. The head of the IMF in Ghost Protocol is the unnamed Secretary played by Tom Wilkinson.
- Deadpan Snarker: He's quite sarcastic, throwing out plenty of sardonic quips at his subordinates' expense.
- Enraged by Idiocy: Brassel refuses to tolerate incompetence, and is enraged when his underlings fail at their jobs. He verbally eviscerates Musgrave and Ethan after the botched rescue of Farris and quite rudely calls them out on their failure to retrieve any useful information.
- Fat Bastard: He's not evil, but he's pudgy and quite abrasive. He lampshades it, and half-jokingly attributes it to his love of chocolate.Ethan: Sir, questioning Agent Farris's competence is unacceptable.
Brassel: It is unacceptable that chocolate makes you fat, but I've eaten my fair share and guess what? - Good Is Not Nice: He really means well and isn't one of the corrupt agents but he's quite abrasive to Ethan considering the circumstances in the third movie he's involved in. After Ethan founds out who the 'mole' is, Brassel eventually mellows out and becomes completely friendly to him at the end of the movie.
- Inspector Javert: Once again, he is in the list of people who thinks that Ethan betrayed the IMF.
- Jerkass Has a Point: He quite bluntly calls Farris's competence into question after she dies, but given that she was captured on her first mission he has a right to do so. He also questions Ethan's judgement, given he had approved her and given her the utmost praise. It turns out he was in the wrong, as Musgrave had leaked her location to Davian.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He's rude, blunt, and refuses to mince words, but in the end Brassel isn't a bad guy. He's quite nice to employees that have earned his respect, and he similarly refuses to tolerate incompetence in a business where mistakes get people killed.
- Knight in Sour Armor: He's quite cynical and blunt, but in the end all Brassel wants to do is see a dangerous Arms Dealer taken down and keep the IMF safe from a potential mole.
- Patriotic Fervor: He tells Ethan as much, admitting he'll do whatever it takes to ensure the U.S.'s safety. It turns out to be nothing compared to Musgrave's fanatical nationalism.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: This despite butting heads with Ethan throughout. He chews out Ethan and Musgrave but justifiably so considering the operation resulted in a dead agent and little information gained; when the team successfully grabs Davian at the Vatican, he congratulates them despite the job being pulled behind his back, and when Ethan's name is cleared, he offers him a promotion and best wishes on his honeymoon.
- Red Herring: Initially suspected to be The Mole but is actually not. Kind of like Kittridge.
- Scary Black Man: Averted. He's quite an affable, friendly boss, but his multiple implied death threats and Badass Boast moments make him this until the end of the film when everything is done.
The IMF Secretary
The IMF Secretary
Played By: Tom Wilkinson
Dubbed in French By: Jean-Yves Chatelais
Appearances: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
"Ethan, you're my best man. And I'm sorry it's come to this, after all the sacrifices you've made. If we don't meet again, I just want you to know... I will always consider you a friend."
The boss of the IMF.
- Benevolent Boss: Despite having to follow orders from the President, he deeply cares for his operatives.
- Big Good: The closest person to one. As the Secretary in charge of the IMF, he has an even higher rank than Kittridge, Swanbeck, and Brassel. He's also the only other IMF leader besides Swanbeck who never antagonizes Ethan in any way.
- Boom, Headshot!: How he meets his end, courtesy of a Russian policeman.
- Cool Old Guy: He seems very stern, yet he knows how to deal with critical situations with some brain.
- No Name Given: His real name hasn't been revealed.
- Plot-Triggering Death: His demise heavily factors into the following film, Rogue Nation.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: He tells Ethan that the IMF has been dissolved because of the Kremlin terrorist attack... then he explains to him how to fake his escape.
- Retirony: He was planning to go to Washington to announce his resignation. The Russian police fatally put an end to that.
Hunley
Alan Hunley
"I'm beginning to see why you guys enjoy this so much."
Played By: Alec Baldwin
Dubbed in French By: Bernard Lanneau
Appearances: Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation | Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Chairman: I'm not sure the Committee approves of your methods, Director Hunley.
Hunley: Desperate times, desperate measures, Mr. Chairman.
Hunley: Desperate times, desperate measures, Mr. Chairman.
Former Director of the CIA. He strongly disapproves of the IMF and tries to shut it down and merge all employees with the CIA itself. However, after Ethan goes to great lengths to prove that the IMF is still needed and they are indeed effective in what they do, Hunley relents and shows full support to the IMF, becoming the new Secretary in charge of the organization after the previous one is killed in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.
- Badass Bureaucrat: Despite being neither a young man nor a field agent, he proves himself to be no slouch in combat. Unfortunately, he's no match for Walker.
- Benevolent Boss: Once he becomes the IMF secretary, he shows himself to be completely supportive of Ethan and his team, having seen firsthand the need for what they do, and even pulls a Heroic Sacrifice to save Ethan's life. Doesn't get more benevolent than that.
- Big Good: The successor to the previous Secretary who's killed in Ghost Protocol.
- Cool Old Guy: He's 60 years old and not in great shape but able to fight Walker on equal terms in hand-to-hand combat, forcing Walker to use a hidden knife to stab him.
- Death by Irony: Hunley told Ethan that Ethan's noble qualities is the reason he can always trust Ethan to have his back. He ends up getting killed to protect Ethan when Walker tries to shoot him in the back instead.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Upon seeing Walker trying to shoot Ethan in the back, Hunley rushes to stop him and gets into a fistfight. He ends up getting stabbed by Walker and left to die, though not before giving some encouragement to Ethan to finish the mission.
- Inspector Javert: Like Kittridge and Brassel before him, he believes Ethan has gone rogue and organizes a manhunt for him in Rogue Nation.
- Obstructive Bureaucrat: In Rogue Nation as the CIA Director. He strongly disapproves of the IMF and tries to disband it and merge all assets with the CIA itself. When Ethan refuses to fall in line, he sends task forces to find and either capture or kill him with extreme prejudice. After Ethan proves the existence of the Syndicate to him and clears his name, Hunley finally drops this attitude and becomes his ally. He's later appointed to be the new IMF Secretary, averting this trope in full.
- Nice Guy: In Fallout, he proves himself to be this, and declares to Ethan out loud he can "trust him to have (his) back".
- Not So Above It All: He's part of the plan Ethan cooks up to expose August Walker as John Lark. He gets to be the one to hold Walker at gunpoint after he fakes being tasered by Ethan. He then admits to the team that he finally knows why Ethan and his IMF Team enjoy their Kansas City Shuffle gambits so much.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: His characterization in Fallout after he Took a Level in Kindness. Even if Ethan screws up or plots some extremely risky schemes that he did not approve of, he still believes in Ethan and his team's capabilities to get the job done.
- Sacrificial Lion: The sixth film needed a good guy to die to show how serious the villain is.
- Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome: Killed by Lark in the sixth film.
- Took a Level in Kindness: He's noticeably nicer to the IMF in Fallout, probably because he had seen firsthand what they're capable of and the fact that he's now the new Secretary in charge of the organization. He may not approve of Ethan's methods, but he can always trust him to have a good judgment. In the end, he dies protecting his subordinates and entrusts them to finish the mission.
