Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning had a surprising twist that harkens back to the original Mission: Impossible after it revealed that one of the characters is the son of Jim Phelps (aka the villain from the 1996 movie). Jim Phelps (Jon Voight) was introduced as a decorated war hero and Ethan Hunt's (Tom Cruise) team leader who formed the Impossible Missions Force.
Mission: Impossible showed Jim Phelps as a father figure for Ethan, but he had sinister plans for him. It was revealed that Phelps planned to frame Ethan as the sole suspect behind his team members' deaths while stealing a classified list of Non Official Cover (NOC) agents that could destabilize espionage operations across the country.
Ethan later learned about Phelps' betrayal and orchestrated a plan to expose him. With Luther Stickell's help, Ethan outsmarted Phelps during the NOC list transaction aboard the Eurostar train. He ultimately defeated Phelps and tragically killed him in a tense final showdown.
In 2025's Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, Ethan Hunt turned himself in to The Community to reach U.S. President Erika Sloane as part of his elaborate plan to help him fend off The Entity's planned nuclear apocalypse.
Before meeting with the President face-to-face, Ethan encountered Shea Whigham's Jasper Briggs, who dropped a bombshell no one saw coming. Ethan managed to connect the dots and unpack that he is the son of Jim Phelps, and his real name is Jim Phelps Jr.
This explains why Briggs has been relentless in trying to taking down Ethan Hunt ever since his first appearance in Mission: Impossible - The Dead Reckoning (read more about its full cast here). It turns out that Briggs joined The Community to find out what truly happened to his father, believing that Ethan framed his father (not the other way around).
Briggs then declares that he is not out for revenge against Ethan. He simply wants to take him out because he knows Ethan is "the reason why the world's staring down the barrel at Armageddon." He also points out that he knows this isn't the first time Ethan has gambled with the fate of the human race.
Ethan tries to befriend Phelps Jr., believing that The Entity wants to cause a rift between them. However, it doesn't work since Briggs doesn't trust him enough.
Phelps Jr. then warns Ethan: "When this is over, you and me, we'll have our reckoning."
Did Jim Phelps Jr.'s Hatred Ruin Ethan's Mission Against The Entity?
Although Jim Phelps Jr. has apparent hostility against Ethan Hunt, it is clear that they have one common enemy: The Entity.
Phelps Jr. worked alongside CIA Director Eugene Kittridge (aka the former IMF deputy director) to stop Gabriel from obtaining The Entity and capturing Ethan. Part of Ethan's plan, though, is to allow Gabriel to retrieve The Entity and put Luther's Poison Pill on it so that his team can trap it in a 5D Drive forever.
After many twists and turns, Ethan defeated Gabriel, and his team managed to trap The Entity in the drive, essentially preventing its plan for a nuclear apocalypse.
Phelps Jr. witnessed firsthand how Ethan is willing to risk his life and go through everything to save the world, seeing him in a new light and ultimately earning his respect.
Phelps Jr. shook Ethan's hand, meaning that his personal vendetta against him was no more because he knew that his heart was in the right place. This was also his way of telling Ethan that he had already made peace with his father's past.
While there is a good chance they can't be friends, their mutual respect is enough reason for Phelps Jr. to turn a new leaf and find a new purpose. Letting Ethan go is a sign that he will never be like his sinister father in the past.
