The Mission: Impossible movie franchise, based on the 1966 television series of the same name, has been going strong since 1996, and promotion for the franchise’s latest, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, suggests that it could be the last installment. This means that the new film could be the final opportunity for these franchise characters to reappear. With an enormous all-star cast and a Mission: Impossible franchise record runtime, the film is set to be something truly special.

The Final Reckoning is among the most anticipated movies of summer 2025, and for good reason. Tom Cruise’s box office records have proven he’s among Hollywood’s most bankable commodities. It’s certainly helped that the Mission: Impossible movies have developed a core group of recognizable characters and consistently attract other major stars. There are a lot of familiar faces among The Final Reckoning‘s cast, but several franchise veterans are not currently confirmed to appear. Some still could return, bringing more connections to the potentially final installment.

10

Jim Phelps Probably Won’t Be Back, But The Full Circle Moment Would Be Incredible

The Character Has Significant Ties To The First Film And The Television Series

Jim Phelps was the protagonist in the original Mission: Impossible TV series, and the first film made the bold choice of turning him into a disillusioned villain. This incredible twist added to the emotional core of the film, leading to Ethan squaring off against his own mentor in that movie’s climax. Phelps was a strong character with interesting motivations, and could be an excellent feature in the upcoming sequel. While Megalopolis star Jon Voight has caused some controversy, he is still working and could still appear.

Yes, Jim Phelps is ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, and it is very unlikely that a character as definitively ᴅᴇᴀᴅ as him could appear in the new film. However, considering Phelps’ importance to the franchise dating back to the 1960s, and especially how much of a mentor he served to Ethan in the first film, his appearance could make for a powerful feature if The Final Reckoning is the last franchise installment. This would likely be done in a flashback or a dream connected to Ethan’s mission in the first movie. However, Phelps has already faked his death once, so anything is possible.

9

Erik, Julia’s Husband, Has Some Yellowstone Star Power… But Perhaps Not Enough

Wes Bentley Made A Brief Appearance In Fallout

Wes Bentley’s Erik spent very little time in the Mission: Impossible franchise, appearing only in Fallout during one hard-to-film scene. In this unusual moment, Ethan reunites with his wife, Julia, only to find that she has remarried and has moved on, at least in part. This is a powerful and emotional scene, and there is some satisfaction in seeing how Julia’s life has not been entirely destroyed by Ethan, despite traumatic past events.

Still, Erik reflects a life that Ethan could have had. A doctor rather than a super spy, Erik is a regular person with a regular life who has been able to build a relationship with a woman that Ethan loved dearly. While Erik is not a likely inclusion in the next Mission: Impossible films, there are certainly ways that the character could be used in the newest installment that would make sense. As an inverse of Ethan, and with Wes Bentley’s Yellowstone star power, including the character in the film could be done in a satisfying way.

8

Billy Baird Could Return, But It Feels Unlikely

The Australian Operative Worked Alongside Ethan In The Second Film

Billy was a part of Ethan’s team during the events of Mission: Impossible 2, where he worked alongside Luther to stop Ambrose. A part of the film’s supporting cast, John Polson even reprised the role a few years later in a video game called Mission: Impossible – Operation Surma. From this, it seems likely that the actor at least had a significant interest in the character and would be willing to return in The Final Reckoning if it made sense.

With so many people Ethan has worked with through the years, there is certainly room for Billy to return in the new film. Seeing as many of the characters who have impacted Ethan’s life and career as possible would make sense if The Final Reckoning is as final as the тιтle promises. Billy Baird played an excellent role in the ending of Mission: Impossible 2 and would be great to bring back. However, his being included seems unlikely, especially after his role in the team was taken over by Simon Pegg’s Benji Dunn.

7

Nyah Nordoff-Hall Came From A Very Different Mission: Impossible

John Woo’s Mission: Impossible II Was A Strange Time For The Franchise

Thandiwe Newton’s Nyah was the main love interest of Mission: Impossible 2, and was an excellent addition to the franchise. A professional thief with romantic ties to the villainous Sean Ambrose, Newton brought style and charisma to the new character. Nyah was intended to return for Mission: Impossible III, but Newton declined, opting to instead spend more time with her family. Her character is still alive and could return in The Final Reckoning.

Thandiwe Newton has been acting steadily, especially in recent years, taking on roles in Mufasa: The Lion King and the upcoming Anaconda, and her character would make sense to appear in The Final Reckoning. However, reports have indicated that she had a very different working style from Tom Cruise, and that the two had a hard time cooperating on Mission: Impossible 2. Coming from a very different time in the franchise’s history, Nyah’s inclusion in the new film feels possible, but unlikely.

6

William Brandt Has Left The Franchise Behind

Jeremy Renner Has Not Appeared In Some Time

Jeremy Renner’s William Brandt was set to replace Tom Cruise in the franchise, but the success of Ghost Protocol rehabilitated Cruise’s image, and Renner was moved to the sidelines. Renner is an excellent performer and was a great inclusion to the series, although it seemed that after he was relegated to a supporting role, the franchise lost any idea of what to do with him. Brandt last appeared in Rogue Nation, and Renner has since chosen not to return to the franchise.

After changing plans for his character, it makes sense that Renner may not feel as warmly toward the franchise. If he had stayed, his character would even have been killed off at the beginning of Fallout. With that bad taste in the mouth, and with Renner’s name commanding a decent sum, it seems unlikely, although not impossible, that Brandt could come back one last time.

5

Jane Carter Is Unlikely To Come Back, But Certainly Could

Paula Patton Only Appeared In Ghost Protocol

So many excellent characters and performers have walked in and out of the Mission: Impossible franchise through the years, and Paula Patton’s Jane Carter has been one of the best. Appearing as an operative as a part of Ethan’s team, looking for revenge for her deceased lover, Carter added a great deal of force and power with her aggressive outlook and style. After Ghost Protocol, the character has not reappeared, although many hope that Jane Carter could still come back.

Again, scheduling kept Patton from returning for Rogue Nation. The film then structured itself around the introduction of Ilsa Faust, who grew to become an increasingly important character to the franchise. Even with the overall story changing to be set around other characters, it is certainly possible for Jane Carter to reappear in The Final Reckoning in some capacity. While no longer a part of Ethan’s team, her place in the IMF could still be given a brief look in the upcoming film.

4

Zhen Lai Would Be An Exciting Return

The Character Was Part Of An Interesting New Team For Ethan

Zhen Li was an excellent part of Ethan’s new team in Mission: Impossible III, bringing a new dynamic to his team with Maggie Q’s excellent charisma. Zhen Li participated in taking down Owen Davian, and her chemistry with Ethan was strong. Unfortunately, despite being logically set up to continue in the franchise, Zhen Li has not reappeared in the Mission: Impossible since.

While originally set up to be a larger part of the overall story, Maggie Q’s career unfortunately kept her from coming back to the series. She was expected to return for Ghost Protocol, but scheduling for the series Nikita prohibited her from appearing. Then, there was a role for her in Rogue Nation, but she was busy with the series Stalker. Still, she’d be a natural fit for The Final Reckoning, and feels like one of the most likely stars of Mission: Impossible III to return to the franchise.

3

Julia Meade Said Her Goodbyes But Is Still Around

Ethan Hunt’s Wife Was Last Seen In Fallout

Mission: Impossible went out of its way to give one of Ethan’s most important love interests some closure in Mission: Impossible: Fallout. As the former wife of Ethan Hunt, and the symbol of an ordinary life that the IMF agent is simply not able to have due to dangers like the terrifying Owen Davian, Julia was an emotional addition to the franchise in Mission: Impossible III. While she has moved on with a new husband, her relationship with Ethan was an important part of his story, and it is certainly possible that she could reappear in this film.

If it were not for the closure provided in Fallout, including Julia in this film would be absolutely essential. However, because the franchise has already said its goodbyes to her in a way, her inclusion here feels slightly less likely. Still, Julia is an essential part of Ethan’s story. If this is truly Tom Cruise’s last appearance in the franchise, bringing Julia in would be a powerful way to help The Final Reckoning’s emotional resonance.

2

Solomon Lane May Be Incarcerated, But He Is Not ᴅᴇᴀᴅ

The Villain Cast A Shadow Over Several Franchise Installments

Rogue Nation saw the introduction of Sean Harris’ Solomon Lane to the franchise. A former operative with ties to the British secret service, Lane led the Syndicate and played an incredible antagonist to Ethan across that film and his short appearance in Fallout. Even after incarceration, Lane’s presence has haunted Ethan, with the agent having nightmare-like dreams of Lane and the horrible impact he has had on Ethan’s life.

Lane does not appear to be ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, but is currently in holding by the IMF. This makes a return by Harris feel fairly likely in The Final Reckoning. As an impactful villain casting a shadow over Ethan’s life, a short appearance by Lane in this film could make for a strong and resonant moment. As a look back over the entire franchise, Lane’s presence here feels like an obvious choice, although it is not quite as guaranteed as the next item on this list.

1

Ilsa Faust May Not Be ᴅᴇᴀᴅ

Many Have Speculated That Rebecca Ferguson Survived Her Venetian Fight

Ilsa Faust became an important part of the Mission: Impossible franchise with the release of Rogue Nation, and remained an integral part of the team in both sequels that followed. This ended with what seemed to be her death in ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Reckoning. Gabriel killed her on a bridge in Venice during a strange scene with nobody around, calling to mind Phelps’ fake death at the beginning of the first Mission: Impossible, leading many to speculate that Ilsa Faust could still be alive.

It’s very possible that Ilsa is alive and that she will return in the new film in some capacity. However, even if she is ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, her character provided such an important relationship for Ethan during the Christopher McQuarrie era of the Mission: Impossible franchise. While she has not been announced as part of the film’s cast, if Ilsa does not show up alive in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, she could still appear in a dream sequence or a flashback.