Mission: Impossible Just Set It Self Back Massively After Committing This Major Sin

Contains spoilers for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

We're seven missions in now, and it seems no matter how often he may have to "figure it out" at the last second, there's nothing that can stop Tom Cruise's death-defying secret agent, Ethan Hunt. The same, however, can't be said for his team members. So far, Ethan and Ving Rhames' Luther Strickland are the only OG members that are still here from when the fuse was first lit in Brian De Palma's stone-cold spy thriller from 1998. After that, the next most experienced agent is Simon Pegg's Benji, who has been covering Hunt's back via laptop since "Mission: Impossible 3."

IMF members have come and gone outside this trio, with one exception being rogue MI6 agent Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson). Debuting in "Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol," Faust has been the dependable tearaway that, in all of her appearances, has broken just as many rules as Ethan and is equally as trustworthy. It's such a shame, then, that in "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One," ties are cut permanently between herself and our hero thanks to a new foe from Ethan's past, Gabriel (Esai Morales). Sadly, as The Entity's frontman promised, she dies protecting Grace (Hayley Atwell) and The Key. 

It's an upsetting exit for the character, not simply because she is such a pivotal member of Ethan's team, but also because it feels like a significant step back into one of the franchise's almost-forgotten flaws.

"Dead Reckoning Part One" slips up by returning to a tired trope that even 007 has avoided in the last few films: it gives one of its few female characters an emotionally hollow exit. Since the beginning, this franchise has been no stranger to women dying or being phased out. Thandiwe Newton, Keri Russell, Paula Patton, and Michelle Monaghan all came and went. Ferguson is no different here.

Ilsa's curtain call is more befitting of one of the handfuls of Bond girls from a bygone era and what the "Mission: Impossible" franchise veered away from after Ferguson arrived. Being such a crucial part of the series for so long, the ingredients were all there to make her death gut-wrenching. Instead, her exit just didn't hit as hard for us, or anyone else. Ilsa has helped Ethan and his colleagues for almost a decade, and it feels as if hardly any time is spent mourning her loss. 

Compare it to even Black Widow in "Avengers: Endgame," Hawkeye and Thor had a yelling match. Hulk chucks a bench. It hit us right in the feels (the death, not the bench). Perhaps then, the only way to counter this when "Dead Reckoning Part Two" comes around is to have Ethan recruit more women for a change and, more importantly, give them more time to shine together.

In between Tom Cruise riding off cliffs and zipping around Venice in a Fiat 500, the biggest crime of "Dead Reckoning Part One" is the fact that the film stars both Rebecca Ferguson and Hayley Atwell and they share so little screen time together. Besides the meeting with The White Widow (Vanessa Kirby), two of the toughest women to enter the world of IMF barely interact, making the passing of the torch even more of a letdown. This is the sort of thing that needs to change in "Part Two," and thankfully, they might have the perfect candidate for the job.

It was confirmed in March that "Ted Lasso" star Hannah Waddingham was joining "Dead Reckoning Part Two" in an unspecified role. While it might well be a small appearance, it seems doubtful that a star of her caliber would be wasted and could be a perfect match with Atwell. The same can be said for Kirby's White Widow. While White Widow and Atwell's Grace will likely be at odds following the recent identity theft (it's not a joke, Ethan!), seeing those two members from the other side of the law ally with one another would make for a refreshing break this franchise needs. Well, come on. Next to Tom Cruise hanging from a biplane, it's not beyond the realms of impossibility.