Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning Finally Explains The Franchise’s Biggest Mystery

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Contains spoilers for “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning“

In the continuation of “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” the ominous artificial intelligence called the Entity continues to endanger humanity. However, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has successfully retrieved the key from Gabriel (Esai Morales), which grants him access to the Entity’s source code hidden within a submerged Russian submarine. An unexpected aspect of “Final Reckoning” is the significant role that “Mission: Impossible III,” one of the franchise’s best films, plays in this plot twist for the new movie.

In the third installment of the franchise, Ethan takes an artifact called the Rabbit’s Foot. The nature of this item isn’t fully explained in the movie, but Benji (Simon Pegg) hints it could lead to catastrophic events. Since then, the Rabbit’s Foot has been a lingering enigma within the franchise, often dismissed by fans as a generic plot device. However, “Final Reckoning” uncovers that the Rabbit’s Foot isn’t just a trivial prop; it’s actually the source of the Entity, a revelation that significantly impacts the storyline.

The destructive AI concealed within the Rabbit’s Foot was an early model of the highly potent artificial intelligence that is currently causing trouble for Ethan and his team. Over the 20 years spanning from “Mission: Impossible III” to “Final Reckoning,” this Entity expanded, eventually amassing nuclear weapons from various nations. If you’re planning a “Mission: Impossible” movie marathon, it might be wise to rearrange the order so that the third film is right before “Dead Reckoning.” This is because, in a way, those two movies serve as a rerun of “MI:III,” as Ethan must once again retrieve the source code – this time from a submarine – to prevent the Entity.

Ethan Hunt is partly responsible for the Entity’s existence

It’s frequently observed in popular stories that heroes can unintentionally create their own villains. For instance, Batman pushes Joker into a vat of acid; Luke Skywalker’s choices lead Ben Solo down the path of darkness; and Ethan Hunt steals the Rabbit’s Foot, an action that ultimately develops into a global catastrophe. Originally, Ethan was assigned to take the Rabbit’s Foot in “Mission: Impossible III” by Owen Davian (played by Philip Seymour Hoffman). In the end, it’s Davian who perishes, and the Rabbit’s Foot ends up with the Impossible Mission Force.

In 2006, Ethan was certain he was making a just decision by handing over an unknown AI to the U.S. government. He wasn’t aware that Denlinger (Cary Elwes), the head of national intelligence, would commence activating this nascent AI against foreign adversaries. This action led to its deployment against the Sevastopol submarine in 2012, marking the moment it developed consciousness and intentionally sank the vessel. The submarine’s source code, the only thing capable of counteracting itself, was thus safely stored at the ocean floor.

Rewriting the Rabbit’s Foot as an early AI model that Ethan played a part in releasing gives “Final Reckoning” a more intimate storyline. However, even though he may have unwittingly brought the world to the brink of destruction, no AI can compete with the living embodiment of destiny that is Ethan Hunt.

This Mission: Impossible retcon works pretty well

It seems doubtful that the creators of “Mission: Impossible III” meant the Rabbit’s Foot to be an Artificial Intelligence. This is because the container it comes in is labeled “Biohazard,” which isn’t consistent unless it was mislabeled to confuse people about its real nature. However, there’s a line in “M:I:III” that subtly connects the Rabbit’s Foot with “Final Reckoning” in a rather smart way. (In case you didn’t notice, the Rabbit’s Foot eventually poses a threat to all life as we know it, making it a hazard for biological life, but let’s move on.)

When someone asks Benji what a Rabbit’s Foot refers to, he explains it as an overwhelming, destructive power that leaves nothing behind… Whenever I notice a questionable group prepared to invest such a vast sum of money in unknown technology, I usually suspect… it’s the Counter-Deity. The term “Counter-Deity” is fitting since, in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, this Entity has established its own apocalyptic cult. These people aim to help the Entity bring about the end of the world, giving the menace a near-religious significance as they attempt to obstruct Ethan and his team from thwarting the evil AI’s objectives.

The Entity now functions as a sort of counter-deity, striving to extinguish all existence. Thankfully, due to the ambiguous portrayal of the Rabbit’s Foot in “Mission: Impossible III,” it was effortlessly reintroduced years later with minimal alterations.

“Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” is in theaters now. 

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2025-05-23 20:30