This Mission: Impossible Character Is More Important Than You Realize

Every great team needs the glue to hold everyone together. Tony Stark with the Avengers, Leonardo with his fellow Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and of course … Weasel with Task Force X. Without their amazing abilities to remain cool under pressure, their respective teams would come undone and all hell would break loose. Okay, maybe those three aren’t exactly built the same, but without them, their teams would certainly look a lot different. Take the Impossible Mission Force, for example. Ethan Hunt might be the one doing all of the crazy stunts and receiving the bulk of the glory, but it’s Luther Stickell who has been right by his side through it all. In a franchise filled with jaw-dropping twists and stunning action scenes, his character is much more important to Mission: Impossible than you might realize.

With Tom Cruise as the face of the Mission: Impossible, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that every movie in the franchise needs to revolve around him — just like how Robert Downey Jr. and his Iron Man persona carried the bulk of the MCU for over a decade. And, to a (much) lesser extent, Sean Gunn’s portrayal of Weasel undoubtedly impacted ticket sales at the worldwide box office. However, sometimes it’s the characters that work behind the scenes to assure that a mission will be completed that are more important; a character who provides invaluable advice to the hero and looks cool while doing it. And who is cooler than Ving Rhames?

A Staple Since the Beginning … Sort Of

Since 1996, Rhames has played one of the most important supporting roles in any action film franchise. As Luther Stickell, Rhames is the perfect foil for Cruise’s hectic and often frazzled Ethan Hunt. The once-disavowed IMF hacker has been a staple in just about every Mission: Impossible movie. And, quite frankly, the movies just wouldn’t be the same with him. He played a pivotal role in helping bring down the slimy and traitorous former IMF director Jim Phelps (Jon Voight). By offering his computer expertise and level-headed guidance, Luther seems to be one of the only people around who are capable of reeling in Ethan.

But according to Rhames, his character was very close to meeting a cruel fate almost straight out of the gate. In a recent interview with Screen Rant, Rhames recalled the first time he read the script and was shocked by Luther’s original contribution to Mission: Impossible. It wasn’t until a phone call with Cruise and director Brian De Palma that Rhames was able to champion for his once ill-fated character. “The first one, I died in the first 10 pages and I said, ‘Why is it the Black man always dies in the first 10 pages?’ Tom said, ‘Yeah. Why is that?’ So, now, I just finished number eight, so I feel pretty fortunate,” Rhames said.

Unfortunately for another character, Luther’s second chance at life meant that somebody else had to get the ax. While it remains unclear how Luther was intended to be killed off, you have to wonder if Jack Harmon (Emilio Estevez) took his place on top of that cursed elevator in Mission: Impossible. Both characters knew their way around a computer and could easily access sensitive secret systems. Regardless of the how, when, why, and where, it was certainly the right choice to make for the film series. There isn’t a more important side character in the Mission: Impossible franchise than Luther.

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A Friend When You Need Him the Most

Throughout the entire Mission: Impossible franchise, Ethan Hunt has always managed to get the job done, no matter what it takes. From explosive firefights to high-octane vehicle chases through all sorts of different landscapes, he has charged the enemy head-on without fear. But it’s Luther who has stuck by his side through thick and thin. It’s Luther who has provided essential information to turn the impossible missions into manageable operations. And it’s Luther who has been the calm voice of reason for Ethan during the most troubling times. Luther might not be the one jumping out of planes or running for his life on exploding bridges, but without him, the missions wouldn’t even get that far.

Luther has been the glue that has held the IMF together for nearly 30 years. As the franchise wraps up all loose ends in May 2025 with the release of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, you can imagine that Luther will play a pivotal role in saving the day. With a stuffed resume of bringing ruthless enemies like Sean Ambrose, Owen Davian, Solomon Lane down, it would be only be fitting for one of the more important Mission: Impossible characters to finally get his due.