As Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning gears up for release, one jaw-dropping twist could steal the spotlight: the possible return of Jim Phelps — the franchise’s most controversial character.
According to reports from ScreenRant and CBR, the upcoming film may revisit the character whose betrayal in the 1996 Mission: Impossible movie still divides fans today. While younger audiences may not fully grasp the shock value, longtime viewers of the original TV series were stunned when Phelps, once the trusted leader of the Impossible Mission Force (IMF), turned into a villain on the big screen.
Originally portrayed by Peter Graves in the beloved TV show, Phelps symbolized leadership and loyalty. But in the 1996 reboot, Jon Voight’s version of the character faked his death, only to be revealed as the traitor who turned on his team — claiming the IMF had lost its way.
The twist hit especially hard for fans of the original series. Peter Graves reportedly refused to reprise the role, believing Phelps would never betray the IMF. Greg Morris, who played Barney Collier, stormed out of the movie just 40 minutes in, calling it “an abomination.” And Martin Landau, another original cast member, criticized early drafts of the film that were even more disrespectful to the legacy characters.
The betrayal was unexpected. Audiences were led to suspect others — like Kittridge or Ethan Hunt’s teammates — but never Phelps. That shock factor helped shape the tone of the franchise going forward, but no villain since has delivered a twist quite as powerful.
Now, nearly three decades later, The Final Reckoning might be preparing to revisit Phelps. Whether it’s through flashbacks, a surprise return, a clone, or a digital resurrection, fans are buzzing with theories. Could this be the franchise’s biggest twist yet?
Tom Cruise and the team have already teased something bold, and the film’s presence at Cannes is only fueling excitement. If Jim Phelps is really making a comeback, Mission: Impossible could pull off a full-circle moment nearly 30 years in the making — and possibly rewrite the legacy of its most infamous traitor.
