Hayley Atwell Is the Chaotic, Complicated Key To Revitalizing the ‘Mission: Impossible’ Franchise

The Mission: Impossible franchise is known for many things: countless explosions, death-defying stunts performed by its lead actor, Tom Cruise, and so many face-swapping masks that it would make the villains in Scooby-Doo jealous.

While fans have enjoyed watching Ethan Hunt and crew go on world-saving missions since 1996, one thing that the franchise as a whole has been lacking is more female characters who stay around for more than one movie. Most of the women we see in Ethan’s orbit only stay around for one film before riding off into the sunset or, more tragically, in a casket.

Now, that’s not to say that there haven’t been some ladies who have stuck around. In the latest installment, Dead Reckoning Part One, Ethan is reunited with two women who we’ve seen in previous movies. But, though their presence was a much welcomed surprise, it also highlighted what I, as a lifelong MI fan, have always thought: The franchise needs a solid women’s presence throughout its entries.

So, imagine my surprise when it was revealed in the trailers that Hayley Atwell (of Marvel fame) would be joining the cast on their (alleged) last outing. Though I do love Atwell and her work, I was skeptical about her being nothing more than Ethan’s sidekick for one movie before either dying or getting thrown in jail. But, shockingly, neither of those things happened in Part One. In fact, as I left the theater, I couldn’t help but think that Atwell’s character could be the key to giving the entire franchise the breath of fresh air it desperately needs.

Warning: Slight spoilers for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One ahead!

Atwell’s gray intentions heighten the movie’s stakes

Atwell plays Grace, a professional thief who inadvertently gets tangled up in Ethan’s global conspiracy takedown plan after she was hired to steal the McGuffin Ethan was on the hunt for. Though she is not the first morally gray character in the franchise, Atwell’s ability to make the audience continuously question what Grace’s true motives are keeps you engaged through the movie’s almost three-hour runtime.

When you first meet Grace, she’s a charming woman running through the airport after pickpocketing a high-level businessman who is about to trade the McGuffin and a flash drive stocked with crypto cash. After meeting Ethan and having to evade the authorities with him, she then quickly ditches him with the stolen McGuffin and flies off to Italy. From those actions, one would assume she’s working with the bad guys.

But, when Ethan tracks her down to a police station in Italy, she’s noticeably frightened and confused about why government agents, a shady man with killer instincts, and a trained assassin are hot on their trail. By now, you might be thinking, “Wait, is she just an innocent bystander?” And you would be wrong!

Grace and Ethan escape all of their tails only for Grace to leave him handcuffed to a car steering wheel as it idles on an active train track. There’s no telling what Grace will do next or who she’ll betray, and it’s incredibly entertaining to watch. 

Because Ethan Hunt is this beacon for always doing the right thing no matter the personal sacrifice, it’s hilarious to watch him go toe to toe with someone who has no loyalties and will do the wildest thing at the drop of a hat. Grace isn’t an IMF agent, a government worker, or a dangerous arms dealer—she’s simply a thief who will deliver what she needs to when she needs to. You can’t trust her, but you kinda have to because she’s the one with all the cards. And that’s an incredibly dangerous notion as there’s still so much of her background to explore in Part Two, so only time will tell how screwed Ethan is by letting her into the fold.

Mission: Impossible is a franchise that’s all about saving the world and having the backs of your found family. And, while that’s super awesome and has been a formula that’s been working for almost three decades, it’s about time these movies shake it up and let a morally gray woman burn Ethan’s world to the ground. Atwell was the perfect addition to this franchise because she breathed new life into what it means to be a part of Ethan’s crew. She’s not a friend or family or past lover. She’s someone he has to rely on despite her shaky, shady past and that could be his very undoing.

(feature image: Paramount Pictures)