The twist from Mission: Impossible involving Jim Phelps’ villainous reveal is still the boldest decision the movie franchise has made, almost 30 years later. When concerning the ranking of Mission: Impossible movies, 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’s Mission: Impossible III. Harsh realities of Mission: Impossible aside, though, it remains a well-liked installment.

Naturally, audiences will be rewatching the Mission: Impossible series in preparation for The Final Reckoning in May 2025. As a result, information on where to stream the Mission: Impossible movies is 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: Impossible retains 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 of Mission: 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 original Mission: Impossible series, meaning the decision for the 1996 movie risked tarnishing his legacy for those who spent years watching him as an IMF agent.

In the original show, Phelps – then played by Peter Graves – played a similar role to that of Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt in the film franchise. Phelps was the lead of six of Mission: 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 for Mission: Impossible to 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 the Mission: Impossible TV 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 agent against the IMF.

Another actor who disliked 1996’s Mission: Impossible was Greg Morris, who played Barney Collier throughout the original show. In a report from the LA Times after 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 pᴀssed on returning for the film as the original script killed members of the original team, Phelps included, and that he felt this was disrespectful (via Slashfilm).

Mission: Impossible’s Jim Phelps Villain Reveal Probably Wouldn’t Happen Nowadays

Modern Legacy Movies Tend To Take Different Routes

With the controversy surrounding this Mission: Impossible decision 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 the modern reboot of 21 Jump Street which, like Mission: Impossible, was rebooted from an older TV show. In that movie – released in 2012, 16 years after Mission: Impossible – the original actors from the series made a cameo.

Johnny Depp and Peter DeLuise reprised their roles from the series as Peter Graves was given the chance to do in Mission: 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 that 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.

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 like Stranger Things was rebooted only with Eleven as the villain, the wave of backlash and blowback would likely be overwhelming. While not reboots, the Star Wars sequel trilogy received similar backlash for depicting Luke Skywalker in a different way from the original films, proving Mission: 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 the Mission: Impossible movie, especially when viewed in a vacuum as opposed to a reboot of the series and character. Mission: Impossible teases 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 is Mission: 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 the Mission: Impossible franchise has failed to replicate it in the 29 years since. Every movie since Mission: Impossible has had a very clear-cut villain, be it Owen Davian from Mission: Impossible III, Solomon Lane from Rogue Nation and Fallout, or the Enтιтy and Gabriel from ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Reckoning and The Finale Reckoning. None of the subsequent M:I films have had big villain twists in the third act, meaning the Phelps plot point remains singular to this day.

The only Mission: Impossible movie that can be argued to have a similar twist is Fallout, 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.