The following contains major spoilers for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.
All signs point to new Mission: Impossible movie living up to its title and The Final Reckoning being the franchise’s last movie, starring Tom Cruise, at least. The conclusion of a franchise is not infrequently the end for at least some characters in that franchise, and Mission: Impossible is unfortunately no exception. On that note, there is going to be one group of fans quite unhappy with the film.
The r/MissionImposisble subreddit has a thread from several months ago entitled “If Luther Dies We Riot”, which begs writer-director Christopher McQuarrie not not kill off Ving Rhames’ character who first appeared in the very first Mission: Impossible movie.
A Key Mission: Impossible Character Doesn’t Survive The Final Reckoning
If you’ve seen The Final Reckoning, and based on the early box office results, you may have, then you know those particular fans are going to be very upset with the movie, because Luther Stickell does indeed perish early in the film. The movie establishes that Luther is already very sick, which is clearly meant to soften the blow when he ultimately sacrifices himself to save the city of London and Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt from a nuclear explosion.
Needless to say, the fans in this subreddit, or at least the one who started the thread, are probably very upset right now. I’m guessing that somebody posting to the franchise subreddit is the sort to be sure to see the movie on opening weekend, if only to avoid spoilers. Luckily, there have been no reports (that I’m aware of) regarding riots inside movie theaters showing The Final Reckoning.
Luther Is The Only Character To Appear In Every Mission: Impossible Movie Aside From Ethan Hunt
Considering this is supposed to be Tom Cruise’s last Mission: Impossible movie, there were certainly going to be people wondering if Ethan Hunt himself would survive the final movie. He ultimately does, and that fact may be the reason that Luther’s fate was sealed.
Ving Rhames’ character is the only one, other than Ethan Hunt himself, to appear in every Mission: Impossible movie. If the goal was to up the stakes of the last movie, and to do it in a way that fans of the franchise would really feel it, Luther was really the only character who could have been taken away mid-movie.
It is certainly sad to lose Luther but, of course, that’s the whole point. Sometimes, characters we love are lost as part of an emotional story. And it looks like it worked as Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning appears to be on track for a franchise-best opening weekend. Still, let’s salute the late Luther Stickell for all of his heroics throughout the history of this beloved franchise.
You can check out The Final Reckoning in theaters now, and stream the first seven Mission: Impossible movies with a Paramount+ subscription.