In the explosive world of espionage and stunts, there’s one name that has become synonymous with explosive action and adrenaline-filled missions: Tom Cruise. For over two decades, Cruise has embodied the indomitable Ethan Hunt, the charismatic and fearless agent at the heart of the Mission: Impossible film franchise.
And while these movies are known for their jaw-dropping visual spectacles and intricate plots, there’s more to them than meets the eye. Hidden beneath all the action and excitement is a treasure trove of Easter eggs, cleverly placed nods, and subtle references that even the most eagle-eyed viewers might have missed. We’ll set out on a mission to uncover a few Easter eggs from the Mission: Impossible franchise.
10 The Angel Gabriel
This Easter egg, specifically in the context of Esai Morales’ character Gabriel and the sentient AI known as The Entity, adds a fascinating layer of symbolism and mystery to the storyline. In a clever misdirect, Gabriel isn’t the central antagonist of Dead Reckoning. Rather, he serves as a right-hand man to The Entity, a sentient AI highly similar to the evil Skynet from the Terminator franchise. The reference to The Angel Gabriel alludes to Gabriel’s role as a messenger or intermediary, which hints at a profound connection between Gabriel and The Entity.
While the exact endgame of The Entity remains shrouded in mystery, it’s clear that its intentions go beyond mere annihilation. The reference to wanting to be “worshipped like a god” suggests a desire for power and control, just like the age-old human tendency to deify and venerate higher beings. Gabriel’s role as a willing servant adds an intriguing dynamic, leaving us to wonder whether he will aid The Entity in its quest for god-like status.
9 CIA Cameos
When audiences first glimpse the board of intelligence at the CIA, a few familiar faces might catch their attention. Mark Gatiss, Indira Varma, Charles Parnell, and Rob Delaney are among these actors. These brief appearances raise questions about the significance of these characters in the broader narrative.
Why are these well-known actors making cameo appearances in the film? What roles might they play in the upcoming Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two? These faces’ brief but noteworthy appearances pique our curiosity, leaving us speculating about the connections and implications of these characters in Ethan Hunt’s world of espionage.
8 Grace
Hayley Atwell‘s character, Grace, is a newcomer to the team, and her role initially carries a question mark on itself—however, a subtle clue hints at her significance and her potential ties to Hunt. In a key moment in Abu Dhabi, Grace demonstrates her exceptional pickpocketing skills as she retrieves one of the Entity keys.
What makes this moment noteworthy is the manner in which she manages to hold onto the key through sleight of hand, a skill that fans of the first Mission: Impossible (1996) film may recognize. This skill is a direct callback to a young Ethan Hunt’s demonstration of pickpocketing in the original movie. As Grace’s role becomes clearer in future installments, this Easter egg hints at the potential significance of her character in the future.
7 Dr. Nekhorvich
This little gem is a clever reference to a similar scene from Mission: Impossible 2 (2000), where Ethan Hunt poses as Dr. Nekhorvich to deceive John C. McCloy and acquire information necessary to stomp a bioterror threat. In Mission Impossible: Fallout (2018), this homage is paid to the second installment of the franchise, showing the enduring influence of the earlier films.
In Fallout, the scene unfolds as Hunt and his team pursue a terrorist to obtain vital information. They orchestrate an elaborate ruse inside a fake hospital to achieve their objective. This setup closely parallels the scenario in MI2, where Ethan impersonates Dr. Nekhorvich to outsmart the enemy. The main difference in Fallout is the character used for the disguise. Instead of posing as a supposedly dead Russian scientist like in MI2, Hunt takes on the identity of Wolf Blitzer, the journalist/news anchor.
6 The White Widow is Max’s Daughter
In Mission Impossible: Fallout, Vanessa Kirby‘s character, the enigmatic White Widow, is revealed to be the daughter of Vanessa Redgrave’s Max, a key character from the first film. Max played a central role in the original movie, forging an uneasy alliance with Ethan Hunt as he sought to clear his name of crimes committed by Jim Phelps.
What makes this Easter egg intriguing is the subtlety with which it’s presented. The film doesn’t go to great lengths to underline the connection, allowing discerning audiences to pick up on it. Also, it reveals that Max, despite her involvement in arms dealing, had aspirations to use the proceeds for a noble cause, hoping to make the world a better place.
5 Leonard Nimoy
The Leonard Nimoy Easter egg in Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) is a delightful nod to a legendary actor’s history with the original Mission: Impossible TV series. Nimoy, a.k.a. Mr. Spock (from the Star Trek TV Series 1966–1969), made a unique appearance in the original Mission: Impossible series during its fourth season. In the show, he played the role of The Great Paris, a retired magician known for his exceptional skills. The character served as an inspiration for Pom Klementieff’s character, Paris, in Dead Reckoning.
Pom Klementieff has confirmed that her character pays homage to The Great Paris, particularly in his flamboyant wardrobe choices. And while she acknowledges that her character’s attire may be more extravagant than what The Great Paris would have worn, the connection is clear.
4 August Walker’s John Lark Alias
When Ethan Hunt prepares to meet the White Widow, he assumes the alias she knows: John Lark. The significance of this alias lies in the fact that the alluring White Widow (played by Vanessa Kirby) is unaware of Ethan’s true identity and affiliations. Thus, Ethan adopts the fake identity of John Lark, a known nuclear terrorist extremist, to maintain his cover.
The use of the John Lark alias was first introduced in Mission: Impossible – Fallout, where it served as the name for the film’s antagonist. In a surprising twist, John Lark was revealed to be Henry Cavill‘s character, who had been operating undercover as CIA agent August Walker. With Walker’s death, Ethan Hunt inherits the criminal alias of John Lark, allowing him to step into the secretive criminal underworld.
3 Printing Latex Masks
Here, we have an Easter egg that pays homage to a famous gadget from the Mission: Impossible films—the latex mask machine. These mask-creation machines have been a staple of the IMF’s arsenal throughout the franchise. They enable the creation of flawless disguises that allow operatives to transform into spitting images of their targets. In Dead Reckoning Part One, fans are introduced to these machines once again.
However, in a surprising turn of events, The Entity, the film’s antagonist, sabotages and destroys the machine, catching the IMF off guard. But despite the machine’s demise, one mask manages to be created, offering a glimpse of its transformative power. While it may not change the eye color of the person wearing it, the inclusion of this Easter egg serves as a nostalgic nod to the past.
2 Ethan Tricks Walker Like He Tricked Claire
This moment highlights the franchise’s enduring use of clever deception, drawing a direct parallel between two iconic scenes from different installments. In Fallout, there’s a memorable moment when August Walker unwittingly confesses his crimes to Solomon Lane, believing Lane to be Benji in disguise. This scene carries a sense of fun as the IMF closes in on Walker and harks back to a similar moment from the original Mission: Impossible film.
The callback specifically references the final train scene in the original movie, where Ethan Hunt impersonates Jim Phelps to coax a confession from Claire. Although the technology behind the face masks and voice modulators has evolved since 1996, the core intention of both scenes remains remarkably similar.
1 Ethan Climbing The Monster Cliff
This Easter egg serves as a recall of a scene from Mission: Impossible 2. In Fallout, Ethan Hunt faces a difficult challenge toward the film’s climax. He must climb up a dangerous cliff without the safety of a harness to reach August Walker’s detonator and prevent a catastrophic nuclear explosion. This high-stakes sequence directly references a classic moment from the first Mission: Impossible sequel, where Hunt takes a break from his spy adventures to indulge in rock climbing in Utah.
The callback to the cliff-scaling scene in Mission: Impossible 2 is not only a nod to the franchise’s history but also a testament to Tom Cruise’s real-life daring stunts. Despite the passage of nearly two decades, Ethan Hunt’s athleticism and climbing skills remain as impressive as ever, allowing him to undertake daring feats to save the day again.
