Mission: Impossible 8 Confirms It Will Finally Pay Off a 30-Year-Old Joke

Mission: Impossible 8 Confirms It Will Finally Pay Off a 30-Year-Old Joke

As a long-time aficionado of the high-octane world of the Mission: Impossible franchise, I can’t help but feel like a kid in a candy store with the latest revelations about the upcoming Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Over the years, I’ve witnessed the impressive array of directors and their unique styles that have graced these movies, each adding their own touch to the ever-evolving story of Ethan Hunt and his impossible missions.


Over a long period, the Mission: Impossible series of movies were primarily self-contained stories. For the initial five movies, each film had a different director at the helm. Ethan Hunt (played by Tom Cruise) remained the main character, but he usually worked with a new team of IMF agents in each movie. This method allowed each successive director (such as John Woo, J.J. Abrams, Brad Bird, among others) to put their unique style onto their respective installments.

Remarkably, Christopher McQuarrie’s directorial installments of the Mission: Impossible series have significantly deviated from the established norm. For instance, Mission: Impossible – Fallout included a third act revolving around the return of Julia Meade-Hunt (Michelle Monaghan). Similarly, Dead Reckoning marked Henry Czerny’s return as Eugene Kittridge after almost 30 years. Additionally, this installment showcased editing styles and flashbacks similar to Brian de Palma’s original Mission: Impossible. As McQuarrie’s contributions to the saga escalate the spectacle and stunts, they also foster a growing affection for linking back to earlier Mission: Impossible episodes. Unlike the earlier installments that largely ignored continuity, these movies are embracing it.

As a dedicated movie enthusiast, I’m excitedly anticipating the trailer for “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.” It seems that McQuarrie is carrying on the series’ tradition in an intriguingly deep-rooted way. A humorous line from the original “Mission: Impossible,” which I’ve cherished for 29 years, is finally getting its payoff!

Mission: Impossible’s Original Big Heist

In the classic Mission: Impossible, Ethan Hunt infiltrates the Pentagon to clear his name and save the world, an iconic scene that many still recall vividly. One detail often recounted is when Hunt lays sprawled inches from the ground, a dramatic position. This scene also introduced us to CIA Analyst William Donloe (played by Rolf Saxon), the individual whom Hunt and his team had to divert attention from in order to accomplish their mission. Eventually, they managed to move him away from his post briefly, enabling Hunt to carry out his theft. However, during their escape through the ceiling, Ethan carelessly dropped a knife onto a table below. Later on, Donloe found and examined this mysterious item, puzzled about how it ended up stabbed into his work desk in the high-security CIA vault.

In the second part of Mission: Impossible, during a Brian de Palma-style split-scene, Kittridge is seen scolding a CIA subordinate, with Donloe standing nearby. After emphasizing the need to capture Hunt, Kittridge is questioned about Donloe’s future – considering that Hunt and his team infiltrated the Pentagon and managed to escape under Donloe’s supervision. Without mincing words, Kittridge outlines a severe punishment for Donloe, saying, “I want him stationed at an Alaskan radar tower by the end of the day!” With that, the matter of William Donloe was settled, never to be mentioned again.

Mission: Impossible 8 Reveals The Fate of William Donloe

Mission: Impossible 8 Confirms It Will Finally Pay Off a 30-Year-Old Joke

Let’s jump straight to the trailer for “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.” In the initial moments, a US base in Alaska seems to flash on-screen. Clips from previous missions show Hunt dropping a knife, which Donloe picks up. Later in the new footage of “The Final Reckoning,” Hunt is seen holding that same knife, hinting at the potential return of Donloe. Indeed, it has been confirmed that Rolf Saxon will once again portray William Donloe in Mission: Impossible 8. This means viewers can anticipate not only the reappearance of this minor “Mission: Impossible” character but also discovering the Alaskan facility where he’s been working. The least anticipated character from the “Mission: Impossible” series is about to make a comeback.

It’s not surprising if you’ve been keeping up with the latest Mission: Impossible films that the sudden change to colder climates isn’t unexpected. The last movie, Dead Reckoning, ended with the submarine Sevastopol being trapped in icy waters. Moreover, the first trailer for this two-part finale from 2022 shows a figure, presumably Hunt, struggling underwater beneath an ice sheet. Although it wasn’t officially confirmed that these IMF missions would lead to Alaska, given these visuals and the fact that Saxon is returning as Donloe, it’s not rocket science to deduce where this story might be headed.

One piece of speculation worth considering, though, is who Donloe could rub shoulders with in The Final Reckoning. The same day he announced Saxon’s return for this Mission: Impossible entry, McQuarrie also revealed that Lucy Tulugarjuk would appear in the feature. His image of Tulugarjuk announcing the news showed the performer in a wintery locale. Given that her character and Donloe are working in snowy confines, not to mention their casting being announced on the same day…are their characters connected in some way? Could they be playing romantic partners or co-workers on this purportedly Alaskan base? It’s worth keeping in mind as fans speculate endlessly over what Donloe’s life will look like decades after Mission: Impossible.

Is Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning the End of the Franchise?

It appears that “The Final Reckoning” might serve as the concluding chapter for the “Mission: Impossible” series. Despite repeated claims by cast and crew, including Tom Cruise himself, about their commitment to these movies, factors such as lower-than-expected box office returns for “Dead Reckoning”, escalating budgets for the “Reckoning” films, and Cruise’s recent first-look deal with Warner Bros. suggest that the “Mission: Impossible” franchise may be winding down. Given this likelihood, the increased focus on secondary characters from the original “Mission: Impossible” movies in these final stories adds an intriguing twist to the saga.

Bringing back William Donloe, in its own way, is as sure of a sign as anything that we’re wrapping things up for Ethan Hunt.

Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning has a theatrical release date of May 23, 2025.

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2024-11-12 22:39