Five Movies Later, Simon Pegg Remains ‘Mission: Impossible’s Unlikely MVP

In between the pulse-pounding action set pieces and ridiculous mask reveals of 2006’s Mission: Impossible III, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) enlists the help of a desk-bound tech specialist to analyze the film’s MacGuffin, a biological weapon codenamed the “Rabbit’s Foot.” Ethan flies in, gets the info he needs, and heads right back out again for more of his regularly scheduled high-speed antics. It’s your standard, run-of-the-mill check-in with tech support (a.k.a. exposition dump), hardly the most memorable scene in the film. But whether viewers knew it at the time or not, those brief interactions with a seemingly random employee would go on to be a crucial turning point in the franchise: the introduction of Simon Pegg as IMF agent Benji Dunn.

There’s nothing about Benji’s first appearance in the Mission: Impossible franchise that hints at what’s to come for the now-beloved field agent. But maybe that’s what makes the character so popular in the first place: who could have known how much of a lovable scene-stealer Benji would turn out to be? You can even ask Pegg himself—when Benji was first introduced, even he didn’t think the character would be sticking around for more than a brief moment or two. According to an interview with Men’s Health, Pegg got a cold call from M:I III director J.J. Abrams inviting him to cameo in the film as an IMF techie after seeing him in Shaun of the Dead. Pegg said,

” J.J. had seen Shaun of the Dead and called me up, and just offered me the role … I thought it was just a little bit of stunt casting. I felt like it was going to be a little cameo, one for fans of Shaun, and I had no idea that it would continue.”

But continue it did—and suddenly, when Ethan Hunt is being broken out of a Russian prison in the opening moments of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Benji is there, with the same quips and cracks that made his brief turn in M:I III so memorable. Ethan himself is (understandably) befuddled at the techie’s sudden appearance in the field. Benji seems just as confused yet delighted by the turn of events, telling Ethan, “I passed the field exam! Crazy, right?” In a franchise that (up until that point) had been filled with tense, anxiety-inducing action, there was Benji. Cheerful, green behind the ears, and always ready to lend a helping hand to a notoriously lone wolf.

Though he welcomed Benji’s assistance in M:I III, Ethan seems put off by Benji’s eagerness in Ghost Protocol. But it quickly becomes clear that Benji’s unapologetic approach to his work is what makes him work so well as a character. Certainly, Benji isn’t the only reason the Mission: Impossible films began to include more comedic beats and heartfelt moments. But to discount his impact on the tone of the franchise would be to severely overlook just how fantastic his addition is to Mission: Impossible.

Not simply comic relief, Benji has also helmed his own character arc across his five-film journey in the franchise. Mission: Impossible will always be Ethan’s story at its core, but from Mission III to Dead Reckoning Part One, we get to watch Benji blossom beautifully. Pegg has spoken at length about how the character of Benji transformed him (both physically and emotionally), and that behind-the-scenes transformation comes through onscreen as well. While Hunt/Cruise is a sort superhero, Benji is a relatable, self-doubting, down-to-earth hero who goes on his own quiet journey of self-discovery while helping Ethan save the world once a year.

We watch Benji come into his own—first as a field operative in Ghost Protocol, then as a formidable fighter in Rogue Nation (he even gets his fair share of fight scenes against malicious heavy-hitters), and finally as an IMF agent willing to go toe-to-toe with villains (or Ethan’s stubborn self-sacrificing nature) in Fallout and Dead Reckoning. Benji is hyper-aware of his relative inexperience compared to Ethan, and though he doesn’t have much of a poker face when he’s frightened or tense, it is cathartic to watch him find the inner strength to push through his fear and stand his ground. In that way, Benji is very much an avatar for the audience.

It’s through Benji that the Mission: Impossible films are able to deliver some of their most touching emotional moments. His speech to Ethan in Rogue Nation (“I am a field agent, I know the risks, but more than that I am your friend”), and his tearful admission in Dead Reckoning that his biggest fear is losing his friends, deliver beautiful, grounded, vulnerable moments that flat out wouldn’t work with any other character. Pegg’s performance sells these beats all the more effectively—we know he can nail the comedy, but watching him break down in tears or restrain himself from shaking as he squares off against a villain entirely out of his league is a reminder that he’s an extraordinary dramatic actor as well.

Though his comedic prowess will always be undeniable, to write Simon Pegg or Benji Dunn off as simply the “comic relief” of the Mission: Impossible franchise would be to gravely underestimate a character that’s become the ultimate unlikely MVP.

(featured images: Paramount Pictures)