Summary

• Mission: Impossible is known for its iconic mask reveals, which are full of surprise, ingenuity, and impressive VFX.
• Each movie in the franchise has its own unique twist on the mask reveal, showcasing the creativity of the creators.
• The franchise has a history of using masks to impersonate key figures, adding unexpected twists to the missions.

Mission: Impossible is famous for its iconic mask reveals, with each movie in the franchise having its own spin on the famous move. The series, which began with the first movie, Mission: Impossible, back in 1996, follows the IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team's secret missions. The franchise is famous for having some of the most daring and impressive action sequences and stunt work in cinema. The films are well known for their unexpected twists, where characters often use masks to impersonate key figures relevant to their missions.

Mission Impossible 8 delayed to 2025, adudiences will have to wait to see the new innovative ways the creators choose to approach the mask reveals. However, with seven Mission: Impossible movies within the franchise, there are plenty of mask reveals that are worth ing.

16 Benji's Hypothetical Mask Mission

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

In the fifth installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise, Rogue Nation features an iconic moment where Simon Pegg's character finally gets to don a mask. The scene features a complex security breach involving a gait analysis system where the characters have to physically exchange data cards within a water turbine. Pegg's character, Benji, has previously stated his desire to wear a mask, so it's surprising and slightly disappointing when it's revealed that the sequence was only part of the team's theoretical planning and never actually happened.

15 Ethan Poses As Kittridge's Assistant

Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One

In the latest Mission: Impossible film, Dead Reckoning Part One, as Kittridge (Henry Czerny) speaks with the CIA director (Cary Elwes) and other government officials, a seemingly unremarkable assistant hands Kittridge a gas mask. Suddenly, the assistant, revealed to be Ethan in disguise, releases smoke bombs, incapacitating everyone in the room. He then dons another mask, this time of Kittridge himself, to execute a smooth escape. The initial reveal, while entertaining, is somewhat predictable because the film draws unusual attention to the assistant, a character never seen before.

14 Ethan Invades The Kremlin

Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol

To successfully infiltrate the Kremlin in Ghost Protocol, Ethan Hunt adopts the guise of a Russian general, complete with a prosthetic nose and mustache, a disguise intended to deceive the security guards. Though lacking an elaborate full mask, the scene is still entertaining. While evacuating, he swiftly removes his prosthetics and uniform, nonchalantly discarding them in a bush. Lastly, he reverses his jacket, transforming into the inconspicuous garb of an American tourist. This strategic use of disguise, though not as elaborate as others in the series, is clever and fun to watch.

13 Ethan And Stamp Switch Places

Mission: Impossible 2

In Mission: Impossible 2, Ethan Hunt is captured by Sean Ambrose and appears to be executed. The twist is revealed when Ambrose discovers he has mistakenly killed his right-hand man, Stamp (Richard Roxburgh), not Hunt. In a strategic switch, Hunt had disguised himself as Stamp, escaping with the biochemical weapons, a thrilling and theatrical scene that is backed by a hard rock rendition of the iconic Mission: Impossible theme. This moment, despite its predictability in not killing off Tom Cruise's character, remains an entertaining and classic switcheroo.

12 Ethan Tricks Hunley

Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation

In Rogue Nation, disguised as MI6 director Atlee, Ethan Hunt overhears Hunley (Alec Baldwin) unknowingly lauding his skills while discussing the Syndicate with the U.K. Prime Minister. Hunley praises Ethan as a master of espionage and a "living manifestation of destiny," capable of transforming into anyone. This ironic scene culminates when Ethan reveals his true identity by removing the Atlee mask. Hunley, who has been very vocal about the fact that he considers Hunt a liability in the past, is taken aback in a humorous moment between the two characters.

11 Kurt Hendricks' Reveal

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

In Ghost Protocol, Ethan Hunt engages in a fierce struggle with a supposed henchman, revealing the true identity of the villain, Kurt Hendricks, a.k.a. Cobalt (Michael Nyqvist), who hides behind a mask. After Hunt's daring ascent of the Burj Khalifa, he begins a heart-racing pursuit amidst a blinding sandstorm. At one point, Hunt ends up on top of a speeding car, fighting one of the henchmen. However, when Hunt grabs at the man's face during the heated confrontation, he begins to tear away bits and pieces of a mask and exposes the henchman actually to be Hendricks.

10 Elevator Mask Peel

Mission: Impossible

In the first Mission: Impossible, Ethan Hunt and his team, equipped with conspicuously large glasses concealing hidden cameras, discreetly enter a gala attended by world leaders to uncover who is leaking IMF secrets. Amidst their stealthy operation, they make a hasty retreat. In a bid to seamlessly merge with the departing crowd, Ethan skillfully removes his rubber mask, allowing him to go unnoticed. It's one of the first mask reveals in the franchise, setting a precedent for the series and becoming Ethan's go-to technique for escape.

9 Julia's Fake Death

Mission: Impossible III

In the third Mission Impossible's most climactic scene, Owen Davian (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) captures Ethan Hunt and his fiancée, Julia (Michelle Monaghan). When Hunt awakes, he finds himself staring at a harrowing scene - his finance is tied up with a gun pointed at her head. In a gut-wrenching moment, Davian fires the gun, killing Julia instantly. However, in a shocking twist, Musgrave (Billy Crudup) rips the tape over Julia's mouth to reveal that the victim is not Julia but Davian's assistant donning a mask. Julia's fake death in Mission: Impossible III is one of the franchise's most surprising twists.

8 Ethan Poses As Jim Phelps

Mission: Impossible

In Brian De Palma’s original Mission: Impossible movie, Ethan Hunt faces a deep betrayal while posing as Jim Phelps (Jon Voight). After recently discovering that his former mentor, Phelps, is the traitor they have been pursuing, he encounters Claire (Emmanuelle Béart) on the train. Hunt is disguised as Phelps, and Claire, believing she's speaking to Phelps, inadvertently reveals her complicity in the plot to eliminate Ethan. In a stunning turn of events and the movie's fourth and final mask reveal, Phelps then removes his face mask, revealing himself to be Ethan Hunt. Even with the previous reveals, it's still an astonishing moment.

7 Benji Poses As Wolf Blitzer

Mission: Impossible — Fallout

Mission: Impossible — Fallout opens with the world on the brink of nuclear catastrophe. Ethan Hunt and Luther (Ving Rhames) interrogate nuclear expert Nils Delbruuk (Kristoffer Joner) to track down the elusive John Lark, when a CNN report by Wolf Blitzer announces nuclear explosions in three major cities. The twist is revealed as a hoax: there were no bombs and the Situation Room was fabricated. In a dramatic moment that wipes the smug look of victory from Delbruuk's face, the set walls collapse, and Blitzer is revealed to be Benji (Simon Pegg). It's an utterly satisfying moment in many in the Mission: Impossible franchise.