Based on the first trailer forMission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, Eugene Kittridge is once again going to be a villain in the franchise. While Kittridge has never been a villain in the traditional sense, he and Ethan Hunt were on opposing sides in the firstMission: Impossiblefilm. In the first film, Kittridge was thedeputy director of the Impossible Mission Force, making him Ethan’s boss. However, after the 1996 movie, Kittridge did not return to the long-running series until the seventh entry,Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning.
After his role as an ally to Ethan inDead Reckoning, Kittridge will once again return in theupcomingMission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. The story of the eighth film in the series will pick up after thecliffhanger ending ofMission: Impossible - Dead Reckoningandwill see Ethan and the rest of his team continuing their fight against Gabriel and the Entity, an artificial intelligence program capable of infiltrating any system and disrupting the order of the world.
Kittridge Looks To Be A Villain Again In Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
Kittridge Served As An Antagonist To Ethan In The First Mission: Impossible Movie
In the firstMission: Impossiblefilm,Kittridge was convinced that Ethan was the mole within the IMF, and spent the majority of the movie hunting him down. Based on the first film, audiences were used to Ethan and Kittridge having a hostile relationship with one another. Therefore, many fans were surprised when Kittridge tried to work with Ethan inMission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning. However, the trailer forThe Final Reckoningteases that their relationship has once again turned unfriendly.
A brief shot in the trailer for The Final Reckoning shows Kittridge standing with Gabriel, who was the main villain inDead Reckoningand serves as an agent tothe Entity. In the scene, Kittridge is talking about Ethan’s flaws. Kittridge says to him: “That’s the pattern, isn’t it? You refuse to sacrifice the ones you hold close.” It is surprising to see Kittridge seemingly on Gabriel and the Entity’s side since he is currently serving as the Director of the CIA.
InMission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Ethan disguised himself as Kittrdge’s personal secretary and infiltrated a meeting that the Director of the CIA was in. Ethan informed Kittridge about the key he had to retrieve to stop the Entity, and Kittridge approved his mission and allowed him to walk out of the CIA headquarters unnoticed.This set the stage for Ethan and Kittridge to work as allies throughoutDead Reckoning, which was the opposite of their previous dynamic.
While he was a helpful ally to Ethan at various points inDead Reckoning, his character works better when he is more villainous.
By the end of the movie, Kittridge seemingly accepts Grace’s desire to join the IMF and allows Ethan to continue his mission against the Entity. While he was a helpful ally to Ethan at various points inDead Reckoning, his character works better when he is more villainous, as it gives Ethan another enemy he has to outsmart. Therefore,Kittridge potentially joining Gabriel inThe Final Reckoningcould be the most interesting direction for his character.
What Kittridge Being A Villain Means For Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
The Director Of The CIA Could Be A Villain In Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
After seemingly being against Gabriel and the Entity inDead Reckoning, Kittridge working with them and becoming a villain inThe Final Reckoningwould have huge ramifications. If Kittridge is compromised, that essentially means the whole CIA is compromised since he is currently serving as its Director. If he was working with the Entity,Kittridge could use the CIA’s resources to serve the artificial intelligence.
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning Cast & Character Guide
The first trailer for Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning is out now, and here is the main cast and characters of the eighth film.
This would likely make taking down the Entity even harder for Ethan Hunt. Additionally,this could be the reason the trailer forThe Final Reckoningreveals the return of Erika Sloane, who is played by Angela Basset. Sloane only appeared inMission: Impossible - Fallout, the sixth film in the series, and was the Director of the CIA before Kittridge. Therefore, Sloane could be returning inMission: Impossible - The Final Reckoningto help Ethan take down Kittridge.
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
Cast
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning follows Ethan Hunt and his team as they pursue a formidable AI called the Entity that has compromised global intelligence networks. With new allies and a haunting figure from Hunt’s past in pursuit, they must act quickly to avert a global catastrophe.
