Ethan Hunt and what makes the mission impossible

In Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Alec Baldwin's Alan Hunley says to Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt, “You had a terrible choice to make in Berlin. One life over millions. And now the world is at risk.” This single line reverberates across the over three-decade-long action film franchise, underlining the core personality of its protagonist.

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Honestly, a secret agent who defies the extent of physicality and will, surpasses average human survival probabilities, charms every woman he meets, uses awesome gadgets, and goes up against indomitable global forces to save the world, is not new to the world of cinema. The aforementioned grammar for a suave killing machine can be applied to Britain's famous spy, James Bond, and Jason 'the stoic CIA agent who can turn any inanimate object into a weapon' Bourne as well. Familiarity is not the biggest crime in storytelling.

But what makes Ethan Hunt click? The easiest answer for why the character works every single time is Tom Cruise. The man who gleefully throws himself inches away from the jaws of death in every film to capture the most awe-inducing spectacles on screen. But Ethan Hunt is also memorable because he does what all good action stories do best: Make you feel the vicarious thrill and joy of being a hero. And what sort of hero is Ethan Hunt? It is perhaps best to ponder that question by asking what kind of action hero he is decidedly not.