Mission Impossible 7 & the treatment of Ilsa Faust

I have been sitting on my thoughts about how Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part 1 treated Ilsa Faust. 

@ilsaafaust already made a fantastic post about it, detailing her thoughts, but she encouraged me to do so as well. I have to admit it was quite therapeutic. 

I hope this is at least a little cohesive and not just incoherent rambling. 😅

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Since the latest Mission Impossible installment hit cinemas about a month ago now, there has been quite a lot of talk about it, some good, some great, some…not so much. 

Fans and critics alike are quite divided about this movie, but the main point of critique they have in common, regards the fate of one of the franchises most beloved characters. Who also happens to be the only recurring main female character in the franchise.

Ilsa Faust, who was so brilliantly created and first introduced in entry number five by writer/director Christopher McQuarrie, and so beautifully played by Rebecca Ferguson. Everyone was of one mind - she stole the show! 

She quickly became a fan favorite and the fandom and critics were elated to know she would be back for Mission Impossible Fallout. Again, she managed to shine in every scene she was in, although her part in the movie wasn’t as big as in the previous one. A small gripe to an otherwise excellent action movie, which critics also liked to point out - some called her “criminally underused”.

It was a criticism McQ didn’t seem to acknowledge at all, as the first thing he started to consider about his next installments in the Mission universe, were Ilsa’s fate. All the way back when they were shooting Top Gun Maverick, so pretty much fresh off Fallout’s success.