Action movie fans are set to flock to see Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt carry out his eighth(!) over-the-top assignment when Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning hits theaters on May 23. Early critical reviews compiled by Rotten Tomatoes have yielded an encouraging initial 80 percent “fresh” rating, with the site’s consensus reading, “Gargantuan in action, runtime, and scope, The Final Reckoning is a sentimental sendoff for Ethan Hunt that accomplishes its mission with a characteristic flair for the impossible.” While the 62-year-old stunt-performing star will surely wow with eye-popping exploits, audiences can bet on witnessing some equally impressive feats from deuteragonist Grace, who was poised to join Hunt and his Impossible Mission Force cohort at the end of Dead Reckoning: Part One.
The role of women in the M:I universe has shifted drastically in the franchise’s nearly 30-year run, moving on from traditional “femme fatale” and/or “damsel in distress” archetypes to fully developed characters who are essential to the story, especially since writer/director Christopher McQuarrie first took the helm for 2018’s Mission: Impossible – Fallout. In celebration of the franchise’s feminine evolution and what’s evidently Hunt’s final outing—Cruise recently told The Hollywood Reporter, “It’s not called ‘final’ for nothing”—here are out top 5 women who made his missions possible.
Alanna Mitsopolis – Portrayed By Vanessa Kirby
First Appeared In 2018’s Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Alanna Mitsopolis—better known as “White Widow”— is a highly intelligent and dangerous international arms dealer and broker who inherited her illicit “family business” from her mother, Max, a cunning antagonist from the very first Mission: Impossible film. While she often aligns with Hunt out of mutual benefit rather than pure heroism, her shifting allegiances and sharp intellect make her a fascinating and unpredictable player in the espionage-embroiled world of M:I.
Grace – Portrayed By Hayley Atwell
First Appeared In 2023’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Hayley Atwell’s Grace burst onto the scene in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One as either a breath of fresh air or a whirlwind of glorious chaos, depending on who you ask. Far from being a seasoned spy, Grace is a highly skilled professional thief who, through a series of increasingly improbable events, finds herself unwillingly tethered to Hunt. Their dynamic is less of a romance and more of a high-stakes, begrudging partnership that often feels like a master teaching a both capable and reluctant apprentice. Like Simon Pegg’s Benji Dunn, she often provides crucial moments of levity amidst the film’s relentless tension.
Claire Phelps – Portrayed By Emmanuelle Beart
First Appeared In 1996’s Mission: Impossible
Emmanuelle Beart’s Claire Phelps stands out as a classic example of a “femme fatale” who’d be right at home in a pre-Daniel Craig James Bond installment. Introduced as the wife of IMF team leader Jim Phelps, she’s seemingly a loyal operative caught in the devastating initial ambush. However, as the twisty plot unfolds, her true allegiances are revealed to be far more complex and treacherous. She’s not just a victim, but an active participant in the elaborate betrayal that frames Hunt. Her confusing moral ambiguity was instrumental in creating the film’s paranoid, trust-no-one atmosphere, thereby earning her one-off character a spot on this list.
Nyah Nordoff-Hall – Portrayed ByThandiwe Newton
First Appeared In 2000’s Mission: Impossible 2
Arguably the most romanticized “asset” Hunt ever had to extract, Nyah Nordoff-Hall is coerced into a wickedly dangerous mission that begins with an infiltration of a criminal inner circle centered around rogue agent Sean Ambrose—her former lover. What sets her apart from all other M:I women is the intense, almost operatic love story that unfolds between her and Hunt. Director John Woo leans into the melodrama, with their chemistry fueling key plot points, including Nordoff-Hall’s courageous decision to inject herself with a deadly virus to save the world.
Ilsa Faust – Portrayed By Rebecca Ferguson
First Appeared In Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa Faust is one of the greatest additions to any long-running action franchise. Introduced in Rogue Nation, Faust isn’t just a love interest; she’s Hunt’s absolute peer, a formidable MI6 agent whose combat skills, cunning, moral complexity instantly elevated the series. She’s a master of disguise, a brutal hand-to-hand fighter, and a sharpshooter who consistently saves Hunt as often as he saves her. Her gut-wrenching self-sacrifice in Dead Reckoning Part One sent shockwaves through the fandom, solidifying her legacy as a truly iconic character who helped reshaped the landscape for women in action cinema.
