Mission: Impossible–The Final Reckoning is bringing back a 1996 character with a shocking twist after 29 years

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning may revive a character whose villainous twist shocked fans in 1996.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning awaits its most anticipated release, and longtime fans of the franchise may be in for a jaw-dropping surprise. 

Anticipation for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning includes a possible return of Jim Phelps, whose original betrayal shocked fans.(Paramount Pictures)

Nearly three decades after the original film hit theatres in 1996, the franchise is reportedly circling back to one of its most controversial characters, whose storyline shook the foundation of the series: Jim Phelps, according to ScreenRant and CBR reports.

To modern audiences, this might not seem like a big deal. But for those who grew up with the TV show, it was a betrayal. Phelps, portrayed in the show by Peter Graves, was the face of the Impossible Mission Force. So when Jon Voight’s Phelps turned against the IMF in the 1996 reboot, it felt like a slap in the face.

So, why revisit Jim Phelps being such an important idea? 

It's because, when the first Mission: Impossible film cast Jon Voight as Phelps, audiences had no reason to suspect anything sinister. 

Phelps seemingly died early in the film, only to be revealed later as the traitor who turned against the IMF, believing its ideals were corrupted.

Graves himself refused to reprise the role when offered. “He believed Phelps would never become a double agent against the IMF.” Greg Morris, who played Barney Collier in the original show, walked out of a screening just 40 minutes in, calling the film “an abomination.” Martin Landau added that the script initially killed off original characters, calling it disrespectful, per ScreenRant.

However, audiences are led to suspect characters like Kittridge or Hunt’s allies, but Phelps? Never.

And in the decades since, the franchise hasn’t matched it. Later villains like Solomon Lane or August Walker, though compelling, never carried the same narrative.

Could Phelps be returning in some form—flashback, clone, digital resurrection? Or is another character from the 1996 film set to turn the story on its head? If The Final Reckoning really is reviving Phelps, it could deliver a twist 29 years in the making.