Mission: Impossible 7 - Who Are The New Characters In Part 1?

Action franchises are all the rage, with "Mission: Impossible" establishing itself as one of the longest-running with the seventh installment releasing this summer. Of course, there are all kinds of returning characters who are franchise staples, but like every other film, there is a cast of new faces for fans to get to know, headlined this time around by Esai Morales, Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, and Shea Whigham.

Some of the staples who are returning for the action in "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One" have been in the series for a long time. Of course, Ving Rhames returns for the seventh time as Luther Stickell. Meanwhile, Simon Pegg has been a part of the franchise since J.J. Abrams revitalized the series with "Mission: Impossible III" as Benji Dunn. Rebecca Ferguson and Vanessa Kirby also return for more IMF action as disgraced MI6 agent Ilsa Faust and underground criminal The White Widow, respectively. 

The most exciting return, however, is that of Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny). He was last seen three decades ago when he led the chase for the disavowed Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) in the very first film.

Some other names who are making their debut in the upcoming film are Cary Elwes and Indira Varma. While most of the information on their characters is unclear, thanks to the "Mission: Impossible 7" trailer, fans can glean some clues on who Morales, Atwell, and Klementieff are playing.

Ethan Hunt, like James Bond, always seems to have a strong female cohort to accompany him and his team on missions. Sometimes they are a part of his teams, as Zhen Lei (Maggie Q), Jane Carter (Paula Patton), and Claire Phelps (Emmanuelle Béart) have been. Sometimes they are needing the help of the team, like with Naya Nordoff-Hall (Thandiwe Newton) and Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson). Hayley Atwell looks to add her name to this list of strong women.

In the trailer, it is hard to tell whether she is a part of the team, another disavowed MI6 agent like Faust, or someone else entirely. Fans, however, can clearly see her and Hunt working together. She looks to be a similar character to Ferguson's Faust, a capable agent who compliments Hunt and adds a style and gravitas to his actions.

Although the "Mission: Impossible" franchise hasn't ever established a title for the women who assist Ethan Hunt on his missions, the way 007 has his "Bond girls," there is a long list of strong women who make the franchise more than just another action series. 

An action movie is only as good as its villain. If Ethan Hunt doesn't have a formidable adversary to go head to head with, it negates the purpose of the IMF. In the past, fans see him go after Jim Phelps (Jon Voight), Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott), Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Kurt Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist), Soloman Lane (Sean Harris), and August Walker (Henry Cavill). For "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One," Cruise and company need to raise the stakes for the two-part finale, and they do so with Esai Morales. 

Morales appears in many television shows, from "NYPD Blues" to "Jericho." While he has always turned in some stellar performances in the past, he is most remembered for his turn as Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke, in the HBO Max series "Titans." Playing the most notorious arch nemesis of the superhero team gives fans an idea of what they can expect from him as the possible big bad of the franchise. 

It remains to be seen if his character, Gabriel, is the villain in both parts or if he is a smaller fish who does the bidding for a big fish. Either way, Morales has the chops to go head to head with Hunt.

A top-notch villain always has a number two — someone to either be the enforcer or the inside man. For Gabriel, it looks as though he is going with the talents of Pom Klementieff, who plays Paris.

There isn't a lot to know about her character yet. Fans only see her with a katana sword and engaging in battle against Ethan Hunt and a handful of guys in an alley. Of course, she could be working for Kittridge as he tries yet again to bring in Hunt, but it seems more likely that she is the enforcer for Gabriel. That means fans are primed to see her in a role different from what they are used to right now. 

An assassin on the villain's side of things is the opposite of what fans are used to seeing her do as the MCU's Mantis. Along with that, her white make-up and teardrop tattoo make her standout even before the film premieres.  

Finally, Shea Whigham is lending his talent to the film in a role that has a little background, thanks to an interview he did with Radio Times, where he leaked the name of his character, Jasper Briggs, and gave fans a little insight into the character. 

"You'll see over the course of seven and eight why I'm trying to track Ethan Hunt," the actor said.

The revelation that he is tracking Hunt could mean a few different things. First, he is someone from Hunt's past who has returned for retribution. Second, he is working for Kittridge. He could also easily be a mix of both. The actor also gave a sneak peek into his thoughts on the movie. 

"I've seen a little bit of seven," he said, "[director Christopher] McQuarrie showed me some of that, and it is incredible stuff."

Like the films before it, "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One" is keeping up with tradition by creating a good mix of returning talent and setting up new characters to tell a fresh story about Ethan Hunt. While the IMF has been disbanded, rebuilt, absorbed by the CIA, and continued under different directors, it seems now they are setting up for an epic finale with this new cadre of big names.