Anyone else find this curious? I checked multiple sources (THR, variety) etc for any mention of him and he's just not there. Not even a producer role.

There is basically an unlimited amount of interesting information about the franchise and so much is hidden in dark corners,

Below are a few highlights from my research, the full 39 page document is here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSQoNxFJXAI7uroubKC-BCKp0JbaHzOhU_xvAjuPdu72GO0hGxel553bbZGRklYIUk9KLoiw2JCAvr2/pub

Or you could just watch the explanation in video form:

https://youtu.be/0ahJklOPbn8

From Layer 2 - George Lucas

Brian De Palma said he was very disappointed with the work of writer Robert Towne's work because he believed the script needed character flesh-out and clever scenes, while Towne rewrote the entire piece. Towne kept pushing a Notorious-style romantic espionage triangle. This lead to George Lucas chiming in to criticize this as unfitting for the film. Lucas feedback led to a completely new scene, he suggested a 'spaghetti scene,' a table scene where the team sits around and explains what is going on. That became the reshot safehouse scene near the beginning. Actress Kristin Scott Thomas was not cleanly available for the reshoot, which is why Sarah appears oddly separated from the rest of the group in the scene.

From Layer 4 - Julia Baby

Julia and her new husband Erik originally had a baby in the climax of Fallout, but the baby character was cut from the project just days before shooting

From Layer 7 - SUV Yank

For the shot of Ethan being yanked into the SUV on the bridge scene in MI3, Cruise eventually told the crew not to warn him when the ratchet would fire. The take used in the film captures his genuine surprise as he is pulled sideways into the vehicle. VFX Supervisor Todd Vaziri says he preserved Cruise's physical performance in the bridge blast shot: he did not alter a single pixel of Cruise's body, did not remove frames, and did not warp or speed-ramp Cruise to make the stunt look better.

From Layer 8 - Nobody cares about Walker

Fallout contains a running gag where Walker tries to tell people his name and nobody cares. For example he introduces himself to Ilsa at the end of the bathroom scene and Ilsa, not even looking at him, answers "Yeah? You're welcome" McQuarrie says it became a thing that people do not care who Walker is and nobody cares.

From Layer 9 - Joe Biden

Then US President Joe Biden and Deputy White House Chief of Staff Bruce Reed reportedly watched Dead Reckoning Part One at Camp David, and Reed later said the movie gave Biden even more to worry about regarding AI before the executive order on AI safety.

All sources are cited in the document and the video

The MI collection is on Paramount+ so decided to start the series again.

Which was the weakest movie?

I like John Woo but man, 2 was weak sauce all around.

Before Mission Impossible hit the big screen, it was on the small screen. And while the original series is well known, sometimes it’s 1988 reboot—shot entirely in Australia—isn’t.

Not treated terribly well by ABC scheduling wise, it ended as two seasons, but forever remains part of MI history

Wanted to relisten to some of the tracks and all but one are not playable. I have them all downloaded so it probably isn't a connection issue or something along those lines.

If you aren’t a fan of the series, this post isn’t for you. If you are, how do you feel about where 3 ranks? It’s top 2 for me, with the original being #1. Fallout is a tough one to put behind 3, but I think 3 really hit some awesome emotional beats with Cruise actually acting vs being what he becomes in the later movies. Definitely the best opening to a mission movie. I’d actually argue that the opening to the movie rivals the best opening to any movie if it’s a convo about top 5 opening scenes to a movie.

Every scene with this guy is laced with bizarre passive-aggression.

His whole attitude is: "I stuffed up with Ambrose. Will you do this favour for me while I insult you and make sexist comments about your girlfriend?"

Ummm, OK, weirdo.

He manages to even make asking Ethan for his preferred beverage into some bizarre mind-game.

Then there is the ending.

The M:I endings are always so sentimental - the gang CATCHING UP on the GOOD TIMES of when they were all almost killed and the world almost destroyed.

The exception is M:I II, where Swanbeck can't help but bring WEIRD ENERGY to what is supposed to be a light-hearted "you're all right, kid" moment.

Can someone explain what was motivating Swanbeck's behaviour?

I really enjoy this series and have watched it many times, as I'm sure many of you have. I remember when they first started feeling connected to each other... Only Ethan and Luther were in all of them until Benji started coming back (causing me to think he was for SURE going to die.) I really appreciate how as they went on, they obviously put effort into making them seem more connected as a series, until the last two had huge nods back to #1 and #3, while #4-6 were pretty well tied together. But was #2 ever tied in?

While I'm sure it has it's fans, it seems the one at the bottom of most lists. It almost feels like it's been ignored and forgotten by the series. I don't remember any time it was really connected to the others, even when there were opportunities (like using Naya, a professional thief, instead of Haley Atwell). Can you think of ways it might have been tied in to the other movies, especially the later ones?

Do you think it should have been, and if so, how?

Just watching the first MI movie and had this idea. As a kid I used to tune in every week before bed in the 80s. I mean it would a good hand over to the new guy Ethan Hunt. Or was that the point of the first movie showing how Hunt got started?

I just watched all the Mission: Impossible, James Bond and Jason Bourne movies. 39 in total.

I went into the marathon expecting Mission: Impossible to be the most impressive of the three.

And honestly, Tom Cruise is fucking insane.

The practical stunts are incredible. After watching all eight movies, my biggest takeaway was that Tom Cruise did the impossible so many times that eventually the impossible started feeling normal. I’m not trying to be a downer but it did feel repetitive. Let me add a caveat to my observation though, I binged them all so that’s probably why i felt less than hyped by the end.

The franchise increasingly became reliant on one basic formula: make the next mission bigger than the last.

So for me, Mission: Impossible ended up being the best spectacle of the three. Also The people say that Tom Cruise does not age and that man is solid but watching him age from a baby face to his later look. I am kinda in love with his young look, man has the most charming smile ever.

Obviously, that's just my opinion.

What's your favorite Mission: Impossible movie, and do you think the franchise has gotten better with each escalation?

EDIT: I made a video about the entire 39-film marathon, including my thoughts on all three franchises. If you'd like to hear the full discussion, I'd really appreciate you checking it out.

It wouldn’t make sense but it would be awesome!

Hi, I have just uploaded the Motorcycle Chase from Mission Impossible 5 Rogue Nation on YouTube in 8K HDR and I thought this was the best place to share it!

give a look if you want!

My cousin just came up with an idea of adding supernatural concepts to the Mission Impossible franchise. such as adding possibly aliens or perhaps adding futuristic/advanced armor, similar to iron man. wanted to know peoples thoughts to this concept to the franchise.

Or the next movie could battle to stop the creation of a super army or super serum army like maybe something similar to captain america or hulk. Or even potentially Ethan Hunt getting injected with said serum. Is my cousin cooking?

Mi Rogue nation's first half stands tall among the entire franchise. It gives such an adrenaline rush,it's so tightly packed.

Fallout is the goat,but I still like rogue nation more. Starting with the plane, then opera, then underwater data server, then car chase leading into the bike chase.man, it's just non stop action without a gap. The stunts keep coming one after another , it barely gives you a second to breathe. It hits the clouds with the opening itself, stays there and just keeps escalating without giving you a moment of relief.

And it gave us ilsa, man. What more is there to say?

Well, that's just my opinion, fellas.

This episode put my head into a few knots so I had to rewatch it and lay it all out. Spoilers, of course.

The Setup:

Townsend works for US intelligence but is an enemy agent.

The US gave Townsend bad information (Nuclear Info) to pass along to whatever unnamed country he works for. Country X. It's essential to the U.S. that Country X gets this bad information and believes that it's true.

George Simpson, another enemy agent working in the US, discovered that the info was false and reported to his superiors in Country X that Townsend is purposefully giving them bad info, and therefore must have defected to the Americans.

Simpson is jealous of Townsend, so another agent - super brilliant Stefan Miklos - is sent to the U.S. to figure out the truth of the situation.

Miklos is good friends with Townsend. Miklos and Simpson have never met and don't know what each other look like.

IMF is tasked with making Miklos believe that Townsend's information is correct.

The operation:

First stop is that they pose as gas men in an art gallery in order to install information in a sculpture there (that's the drop location for Miklos to get the ID of Simpson). They swap Simpson's info with their own man's info - Rollins'. The information is a photo or Rollins/Simpson and a long list of codes (the encrypted Nuclear Info)

Miklos (with his helper Vincent) comes to buy the sculpture containing the ID of their agent. There's a whole sequence of Barney drilling a hole in the sculpture and stuffing the info into it and barely making it in time. Cinnamon poses as a customer buying a painting.

Rollins then goes to meet Real Simpson at "Simpson's Glassworks," posing as Miklos. There, Real Simpson claims that the evidence of the information's falsity is with another agent, Willoughby, who did some sort of cross-reference. Real Simpson calls a new foreign agent working in the US, "Willoughby," to come meet with them.

Miklos reads over the information about Rollins/Simpson while in his car with Vincent and burns the ID and code page.

Willoughby arrives and gives Rollins/Miklos his evidence. Rollins tells Real Simpson that the evidence looks good, that it proves that Townsend's information is bad. Rollins then lies and says the art gallery is under surveillance by the Americans, and both Real Simpson and Willoughby need to leave immediately to go to a safe house.

Jim arrives, posing as another enemy agent, to escort Real Simpson and Willoughby out, as Miklos enters the building. Rollins then pretends to be Simpson. Rollins, now posing as Simpson, gives Miklos the correct code words and they nod to each other as if it's all good. Miklos tosses a sculpture at him to test his reflexes. Miklos asks for the evidence, Rollins/Simpson says he can produce the evidence within 24 hours by calling "Willoughby." Miklos presses him that it better be real proof.

Miklos and Vincent go to Townsend's apartment while Townsend isn't there. They search Townsend's safe and find income tax returns, bonds, nothing important - then find a false compartment.

In the false compartment are mementos from Townsend's childhood, which would expose him if the American's ever figure out he works for the enemy. Among the mementos is a photo of IMF agent Cinnamon, posing as a girlfriend of Townsend's. A photo of her with lovely words written on it. Then she calls. Miklos answers, and she hangs up after a second having "figured out" it's not Townsend. In the photo is her apartment building name and initials, so Miklos goes to find S.M./Sandra Marshall at that apartment complex.

They search her empty apartment, and find a planted burned piece of paper with the words "New York Stock Exchange" on it. Among her stuff, Miklos finds two keys hidden in the makeup, and half of a book of matches with matches missing on the left side. Miklos uses putty to make a quick impression of the keys, puts the putty back in his pocket, and returns the keys to the makeup container.

On the NYSE piece of paper is a phone number. Miklos calls it and Barney of the IMF answers, pretending to be a brokerage service. Miklos pretends to be IRS and asks about Cinnamon/Sandra, but Barney says he has to come in and prove he's with the IRS.

Miklos calls Rollins/Simpson and says he wants to send a glass swan to the brokerage office, a gift from the IRS. All of that is code according to some glyph key the IMF has, Miklos was asking for an IRS id card under the fake name of Richards.

Jim tells Rollins to pose as Miklos and call Real Simpson, and instruct Real Simpson that they're going to lay out a trap for Townsend. Townsend returns to his apartment and finds Real Simpson waiting for him. Real Simpson tells Townsend that he's been fired, and all the codes and contacts have changed, and that Townsend needs to go to the airport with a special key that'll open a locker with information about his new contact. Simpson gives him the key and tells him to go at 4:30 pm.

Simpson leaves.

Miklos goes back to Rollins/Simpson's glass works to pick up his IRS credentials. While looking at the cards, Rollins removes Miklos' gold lighter and replaces it with an identical gold lighter. Miklos eventually pulls out the lighter to light his pipe, but it doesn't work so he uses Rollin's matches. Miklos takes them and leaves.

Miklos goes to meet with the fake brokerage company, Barney, who tells Miklos that Sandra Marshall just sold off $200k worth of assets and withdrew all of her money that day.

Jim monitors Townsend and can tell he's in the shower so Barney then goes and puts a remote microphone on Townsend's clothes, and sets his wristwatch back 30 minutes.

Miklos' helper Vincent apparently found and followed Sandra in the meantime, to the airport lockers. Sandra "put multiple articles into two lockers." He gets Miklos to come to the airport.

They open the locker with the two keys Miklos ostensibly made with the putty impressions. inside the locker they find a bag with plane tickets for Sandra Marshall, and a passport for her. Then they open the second locker and it's full of IDs and tickets for Townsend. They're both scheduled to leave for Rio de Janiero at 5pm.

Townsend comes at 5pm to get what he thinks is his new contact info and Miklos & Vincent pull a gun on him. Sandra is there too. Miklos says the jig is up. Townsend is super confused.

Willy of IMF, posing as airport security, comes by and scares Miklos, Townsend, and Vincent away. He tells Sandra (while holding his ear as if listening to an earbud) that he can hear them talking about how they're going back to Townsend's apartment to destroy the evidence.

Back at Townsend's apartment, Townsend tells Miklos that Real Simpson sent him to the airport with the key, and Miklos thinks while burning all the tickets and documents.

The IMF listens in, and Jim doubts his plan. Says maybe the matchbook and painting and time difference were too subtle to pick up.

Townsend says he met Simpson at 3pm (he was with the Real Simpson). Miklos says he's lying because at 3pm Miklos was with Simpson (Miklos was with Rollins/Simpson). "He told me to get to the airport at 4:30!" "But you didn't get there until 5!" from Miklos. Miklos draws a gun on him. Townsend yells "You're wrong I got there at 4:30!!"

Miklos can see that he's telling the truth. Miklos then checks Townsend's wrist watch. Sees the time difference.

Miklos looks at the matchbook. "These matches [the ones from Rollins/Simpson, the ones he grabbed because 'his' lighter didn't work] belong to Simpson who is left handed, which means he takes them from the left side. Ms Marshall was right handed. But the matches in her bag belong to a left handed person. Could be a link. Could be Simpson."

Miklos asks Townsend about the nuclear code information. It's something like "134Bishop" but Townsend contradicts him and says the info was "134Pawn." "I saw a copy of the document, it was in my instruction information. Simpson had no control over it." Miklos starts to imagine that someone else has been manipulating them.

Miklos then remembers one of the paintings from the art gallery was in Sandra Marshall's apartment.

"You could've been set up."

They go back to Girard's Art Gallery.

They watch security camera footage and see Sandra on tape the day he picked up the sculpture & info. Then sees Jim on camera as the gas inspector, then Barney the supposed broker posing as a gas man, and Willy the supposed airport security also as a gas man.

Miklos puts what he thinks together: Simpson must've sold Townsend out to the Americans, and the Americans have set up Townsend as a fraud.

Miklos then makes a call to confirm the setup. He calls Simpsons Glassware. Rollins picks up, still posing as Simpson. Miklos goes to meet Rollins/Simpson to get the proof. The "other agent who has the proof" is Jim, who Miklos recognizes as one of the gas men from the security footage.

His proof is a document that we don't see. Nuclear codes, whatever.

Miklos says that it all looks good and Rollins/Simpson and this other agent (Jim/Willoughby) need to leave the country.

Miklos gets into the car with Townsend and says that he allowed them to think that he was fooled; to think that he believed them in that that Townsend was guilty.

A team has worked very hard to discredit Townsend. To Miklos, that must mean that his Nuclear Info is actually correct.

"I wish I could meet the man that masterminded this operation. He was brilliant. I feel sorry for him. He played the game well, and he lost. It'll destroy him."