Mission: Impossible franchise is finally coming to an end with the highly anticipated Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. The next release has reignited interest in the series, taking audiences back to 1996 with Brian de Palma’s original film. The latest installment explores Ethan Hunt’s quest for revenge against IMF agent Kittridge, who accuses him of betraying the organization to dangerous European criminals. While considered one of the best films in the series, it could have taken a very different turn under slightly altered circumstances.
Production for Mission: Impossible in 1996 was relatively tame compared to later sequels, but still featured daring stunts that made for a thrilling film. Behind the scenes, key character decisions led to clashes between the crew and actors, resulting in script changes that had a lasting impact on the series. One notable example is Luther Stickwell, whose character was originally slated for a different fate.
Luther was originally meant to die in Mission: Impossible 1996 before Ving Rhames intervened
Ving Rhames saved Luther’s character
It’s hard to imagine the Mission: Impossible franchise without Ving Rhames’ iconic character Luther Stickwell. However, the series was almost altered drastically in Brian Palma’s 1996 film, as Luther was initially written to be killed off.
According to reports, this incident allegedly occurred during Ethan Hunt’s mission in Prague with the rest of his team, although Luther is not included in the final version.
