Why Did Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning Ignore Ethan’s Crucial Backstory?

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Note of Caution: This write-up delves into SPOILERS for Mission: Impossible – The Last Standout. In contrast to other plotlines resolved from the prior movie, one major exception emerged. In Mission: Impossible – Past Calculation, it was hinted that both Ethan and Gabriel shared a past with a woman named Marie who remained mysterious. This film unveiled her role as crucial in Ethan’s backstory and his complicated relationship with the antagonist Gabriel.

In the saga of “Dead Reckoning”, Marie was previously established as a significant character. However, in “The Final Reckoning” released in 2025, no new information about her was disclosed. Although director Christopher McQuarrie had his motives for not pursuing this plotline, it detracted from the film as Marie played a crucial role in Ethan and Gabriel’s lives.

The Final Reckoning Doesn’t Revisit Ethan’s Backstory With Marie That Dead Reckoning Introduced

The Final Reckoning Left A Major Plot Thread Hanging

In the movie “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning,” it came to light that Marie was a woman with whom Ethan had a past relationship, dating back even before the initial Mission: Impossible film. The movie also unveiled that Gabriel had brutally killed her for an undisclosed motive and falsely accused Ethan of the crime. To dodge prison time, Ethan agreed to join the Impossible Mission Force, implying that Marie played a significant, albeit indirect, role in Ethan’s transformation into a covert agent.

Despite Marie playing a crucial role in Ethan’s past, The Final Reckoning doesn’t provide any fresh insights into her character, her bond with Ethan, or why Gabriel ended her life. It’s quite peculiar, considering that The Final Reckoning did delve into the Entity’s origin as a result of the Rabbit’s Foot Ethan took in Mission: Impossible III.

Christopher McQuarrie’s Explanation For The Final Reckoning Abandoning The Marie Storyline Is Odd

The Final Reckoning Director’s Reasoning For Disregarding Marie Doesn’t Add Up

In a chat with Happy Sad Confused, filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie admitted that in light of criticisms towards Dead Reckoning, he aimed to shorten the sequel and reduce excess backstory about Ethan and Gabriel’s relationship that some felt was overly explained. He further defended his stance by suggesting that The Final Reckoning could function as a standalone movie due to the time lapse since the previous film, allowing him to let go of this particular subplot.

I filmed a segment providing additional insight into their relationship dynamics. In truth, without producing this film, the narrative would have remained somewhat vague and unresolved. So, we decided to take a risk with it. Additionally, due to the ongoing Hollywood strikes and various other circumstances, our project, “Dead Reckoning,” was further delayed from release. If it had been released the following summer, the situation would have been different. However, given the distance between us and the original project, we found the freedom to abandon “Dead Reckoning” and create this self-contained film instead.

1. McQuarrie’s observations aside, the movie titled “The Final Reckoning” was never intended to be a standalone film. Regardless, the Entity remained the primary antagonist, and numerous references to earlier “Mission: Impossible” films were woven into the narrative.

2. Disregarding McQuarrie’s argument, Ethan’s relationship with Gabriel and Marie was a crucial plot point in “Dead Reckoning“, significantly influencing Ethan’s character. Although their relationship remained somewhat unclear following another scene that shed more light on it, it was preferable to have some resolution after the intriguing setup in “Dead Reckoning“.

The Final Reckoning Not Addressing Marie & Ethan’s Backstory Hurts The Movie

The Final Reckoning Hurts Itself As A Finale By Not Expanding On Marie & Ethan’s Relationship

Marie’s personality seemed underdeveloped following the fact that The Final Reckoning didn’t provide any fresh insights into her background. This issue also extended to Gabriel, who failed to live up to his potential as Ethan’s main adversary, aside from the Entity. Given the significant impact Gabriel had on Ethan, causing him immense suffering and leading to Ethan joining the IMF, it was expected that more details about their relationship or Gabriel’s motivations would be explored in The Final Reckoning. This omission weakened the emotional resonance and captivating nature of their confrontation in the series.

As Ethan, the thought of partnering with Marie could have created an intriguing relationship dynamic with Gabriel. After all, my relentless efforts to shield those I cherish from harm, such as the tragic death of Ilsa Faust in “Dead Reckoning,” make our bond particularly poignant. In “The Final Reckoning,” Gabriel unfortunately became yet another adversary for me to confront, while Marie seemed like just one more person I couldn’t save.

The movie “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” wraps up Ethan’s tale in an action-packed way, but it didn’t fully develop Marie’s character, which limited the film’s overall impact. Director McQuarrie aimed to improve on “Dead Reckoning” by cutting extra explanations, but this change negatively affected Ethan, Marie, and Gabriel’s characters. As “The Final Reckoning” was supposed to be Ethan’s final big-screen adventure, not fully resolving Marie’s storyline makes the ending less fulfilling and satisfying.

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2025-05-29 23:08