The Mission Impossible movie series kicked off way back in 1996 with Tom Cruise in the lead role and with the dude doing his own stunts. Each movie is more incredibly fantastic than the previous one, and they all follow the same format. One of the things we have to stop analyze about this movie series is the supporting cast. And I’m talking about Rebecca Ferguson’s role as Ilse Faust and her decision to leave the series.
Without a doubt, Rebecca Ferguson is an eye-catcher, the hot MI6 Agent she plays is one of the few female characters that have a significant impact on this series, and her leaving the movie series is a shocker, so let’s explore and delve a bit on the reasons as to why she took that decision.
Rebecca Ferguson’s Trajectory In Mission Impossible
Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilse Faust character was introduced in Mission Impossible Rogue Nation in which she’s an aid and supporting character providing action sequences and intel to Ethan Hunt. Then, she did Fallout where she did that sequence as a sniper in an opera house. In fact, she’s been in every McQuarrie Mission Impossible movie up until now.
And when Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One came, her once semi lead role took a backseat approach, and then we see her getting stabbed. Her murder in this movie at the hands of Esai Morales’ character leaves us wondering just exactly happened here.
It’s not that the murder of Ilse is problematic, if we consider that in every Mission Impossible movie, there’s a new character that goes on to the next one, sort of closetedly mimicking Dominic Toretto’s Fast And Furious family. No, it’s not that, it’s the way in which she was written off the series.
Why did Rebecca Ferguson Leave Mission Impossible?
Rebecca Ferguson has been a crucial addition to the Mission Impossible series since her debut in 2015’s Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. Returning for Mission: Impossible – Fallout in 2018, she became an essential character in the world of Ethan Hunt. Her character, Ilsa Faust, is an enigma: a former MI6 operative who always seems to be playing her own game.
While the exact reason for Ferguson’s departure from the series has not been explicitly stated, several factors may have influenced her decision. It’s important to speculate responsibly, but the following reasons could potentially shed some light on the matter.
Scheduling Conflicts
Rebecca Ferguson has a flourishing acting career outside of the Mission Impossible series. As her popularity grows, it is possible that conflicts arose between the shooting schedules of the Mission Impossible films and her other projects.
Character Arc
We talked about this, that character was killed in a way that’s very explainable by lousy scriptwriting. All in all, we can affirm that Ilsa Faust’s storyline in the Mission Impossible series wasn’t seeming to be reaching a natural conclusion. If the writers felt that they had taken Ilsa as far as possible within the series, it could make sense for the character and the actress to move on.
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New Opportunities
With success comes new opportunities, and it’s plausible that Rebecca Ferguson chose to leave the series to chase other exciting projects that she believed would further her career. And it’s evident; she’s done Dune under Dennis Villeneuve’s direction opposite Timothy Chalamet, Zendaya and Oscar Isaac, she did The Snowman, and Doctor Sleep just to name a few
Mission Impossible Series Impact
Rebecca Ferguson’s portrayal of Ilsa Faust brought a breath of fresh air to the Mission Impossible series. Her character, strong and independent, could stand toe-to-toe with Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt. The chemistry between the two characters was palpable, with many fans rooting for a romantic resolution between Ilsa and Ethan.
Ilsa Faust undoubtedly played an essential role in shaping the Mission Impossible series, particularly in Rogue Nation and Fallout. Her departure will leave a void in the series that could prove difficult to fill. However, the Mission Impossible franchise has always been known for its ability to reinvent itself and introduce new, exciting characters.
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