TV & Movies

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 cast & characters

Cameron Frew
Still from Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1, including Tom CruiseParamount Pictures

With Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 in cinemas now, we’ve broken down the main cast of the movie, including the actors and the characters they play.

Agents come and go, but Ethan Hunt and the IMF remain: this is the rolling habit of the Mission: Impossible movies, bringing in characters only for us to never see them again.

In the original 1996 movie, Ethan’s entire crew is killed off, we only see two characters again: Luther, his tech-whiz right-hand man; and Kittridge, who makes his long-awaited return in M:I7. In the second movie, Anthony Hopkins plays Ethan’s commander, only to never be seen again. And that’s before we get to the slew of IMF operators in M:I3 and Ghost Protocol who disappear into the ether.

In Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1, there’s a few newcomers alongside the familiar faces – so, here’s everyone you need to know in the cast.

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Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 cast & characters

Below, you’ll find a list of all the major characters in the cast of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1.

The official synopsis reads: “Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands.

“With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.”

Ethan Hunt: Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 castParamount Pictures

Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt, the seemingly immortal IMF agent who will always put his life on the line for his team and the world.

The actor told Collider that Dead Reckoning Part 1 is a perfect entry point for the franchise. “They could start with this film to see and understand that this is all real, all the action is real, it’s practical. This movie is an epic adventure… it’s so lush, filled with practical action and amazing locations,” he said.

Cruise is arguably the biggest movie star in the world, beloved for his roles in Top Gun (and its sequel, Maverick), Jerry Maguire, Collateral, The Last Samurai, and A Few Good Men, among others.

Grace: Hayley Atwell

Hayley Atwell as Grace in the Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 castParamount Pictures

Hayley Atwell plays Grace, a lone wolf who smiles and pickpockets her way out of any jam.

She told Screen Rant: “She’s hyper-vigilant. She’s out for herself out of necessity; because she’s had to be. It’s how she’s survived. She’s learned skills on the job, as opposed to having had any real formal training, which means she can be quite scrappy and can also duck and dive and adapt to situations.

“And, of course, that shares an origin story with Ethan Hunt who kind of has a similar background. They are sort of two sides of the same coin; there’s a kind of cat-and-mouse feel to them — like siblings in a way. And that creates a kind of exasperation between them that becomes also very endearing and very funny.”

Atwell is perhaps best known for playing Agent Peggy Carter in the MCU, but she’s also starred in Black Mirror and The Duchess.

Gabriel: Esai Morales

Gabriel and Paris in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1Paramount Pictures

Esai Morales plays Gabriel in the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 cast, a dangerous figure from Ethan’s past who represents the weapon at the heart of Dead Reckoning.

Christopher McQuarrie has kept plot details close to the chest, but he told EW: “I can tell you that he’s definitely the antagonist in our story, or rather he is one of the antagonists in our story. He’s something of an enigma. You discover more about him over the course of the two movies. There’s definitely more to him than meets the eye and he’s something of a ghost of the past.”

Morales is best known for his roles in La Bamba, Bad Boys, and My Family.

Luther Stickell: Ving Rhames

Ving Rhames as Luther in the Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 castParamount Pictures

Ving Rhames plays Luther, Ethan Hunt’s longtime right-hand man and IMF tech-wiz; there’s no bomb he can’t defuse, and no system he can’t hack.

Rhames is also known for his performances in Pulp Fiction, Dawn of the Dead, and Lilo and Stitch.

Benji Dunn: Simon Pegg

Simon Pegg as Benji in the Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 castParamount Pictures

Simon Pegg plays Benji Dunn, an IMF technician who’s become a formidable (but nervous) field agent, often working with Luther behind the scenes.

Pegg is best known for the Cornetto Trilogy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World’s End) as well as Spaced, Paul, and The Boys.

Ilsa Faust: Rebecca Ferguson

Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa Faust in the Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 castParamount Pictures

Rebecca Ferguson plays Ilsa Faust, a former MI6 agent who’s become a close ally (and perhaps something more) to Ethan Hunt.

Ferguson has also starred in Dune, Doctor Sleep, The Greatest Showman, and The Snowman.

The White Widow / Alanna Mitsopolis: Vanessa Kirby

Vanessa Kirby as The White Widow in the Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 castParamount Pictures

Vanessa Kirby plays the White Widow, aka Alanna Mitsopolis, a mysterious arms dealer who’s also the daughter of Max from the first Mission: Impossible movie.

Speaking to Screen Rant about the relationship between Alanna and Ethan, she said: “We always like the idea that there’s a recognition between them of being from completely different worlds and having completely different pressures on them, but somehow understanding each other. It was really fun to come back a little bit wilder; a little bit heavier in some ways. And it was an honor to be back, honestly. I’m so thrilled.”

Kirby has also starred in Pieces of a Woman, Hobbs and Shaw, and The Son.

Eugene Kittridge: Henry Czerny

Henry Czerny as Kittridge in the Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 castParamount Pictures

Henry Czerny reprises his role as Eugene Kittridge, the former IMF director who tried to hunt Ethan down in the first Mission: Impossible.

Czerny has also appeared in the likes of Clear and Present Danger, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Ready or Not, and Scream 6.

Paris: Pom Klementieff

Pom Klementieff as ParisParamount Pictures

Pom Klementieff plays Paris, a French assassin who works with Gabriel.

She told Comic Book: “I had so much fun creating the character. And what is fun also is that the character was not written at all on paper. What Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise do is they cast the actor and then build the character around the actor’s abilities and all the conversations that we have.

“So it was just nothing at first, and it became just all these things that we added and I came up with. You know, different ideas.”

Klementieff is best known for portraying Mantis in Guardians of the Galaxy and other MCU movies, but she’s also appeared in Black Mirror.

Jasper Briggs: Shea Whigham

Shea Whigham as JasperParamount Pictures

Shea Whigham plays Jasper, an enforcer for an intelligence agency known as The Community.

Whigham has also starred in Kong: Skull Island, Perry Mason, Boardwalk Empire, and Take Shelter.

Degas: Greg Tarzan Davis

Greg Tarzan Davis as DegasParamount Pictures

Greg Tarzan Davis plays Degas, Jasper’s partner.

Davis starred in Top Gun: Maverick, and he’s also known for his roles in The Call of the Wild and Grey’s Anatomy.

Denlinger: Cary Elwes

Cary Elwes as Denlinger in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1Paramount Pictures

Cary Elwes plays Denlinger, the director of national security and head of The Community.

Elwes has a long list of roles in the likes of The Princess Bride, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and the Saw franchise.

The Community: Charles Parnell, Mark Gatiss, Indira Varma, Rob Delaney

Charles Parnell, Mark Gatiss, Indira Varma, and Rob Delaney all play members of The Community in brief appearances.

Parnell is known for his appearances in Top Gun: Maverick, The Mandalorian, Barry, and All my Children, while Gatiss is perhaps best known for his work in The League of Gentlemen, as well as Sherlock and Doctor Who.

Varma has starred in Game of Thrones, Luther, and Obsession, while Delaney is an actor and comedian best known for Catastrophe and Deadpool 2.

Marie: Mariela Garriga

Mariela Garriga plays Marie, a mysterious figure from Ethan Hunt’s past.

Garriga has also appeared in Bloodline, Golden Men, and Miami Beach.

That’s everyone you need to know in the cast of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1, which is in cinemas worldwide now. Check out our other coverage below:

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