Ethan Hunt and Ilsa Faust seem awfully close in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, causing many viewers to wonder if the two are in a relationship. Ethan Hunt is known for getting around, with him getting with all kinds of sidekicks and spies throughout the Mission: Impossible franchise. However, his connection to Ilsa seems to be much deeper than some of these other flings, with Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One possibly hinting that the duo is in a relationship.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is out now, continuing the exciting story of Ethan Hunt and the IMF in the seventh Mission: Impossible film. While the film does introduce some newcomers to the series, such as Haley Atwell’s Grace and Esai Morales’ Gabriel, the cast of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One also features some returning characters. As well as mainstays like Benji and Luther, Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa Faust returns, with her having been introduced in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. However, it seems that her dynamic with Ethan may have changed since her debut.
Ethan Hunt & Ilsa Aren’t In A Relationship In Mission: Impossible 7
Although it seems like they may be dating, Ethan Hunt and Ilsa Faust aren’t actually in a relationship in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. This was confirmed by longtime Mission: Impossible director Christopher McQuarrie, who explained he simply didn’t want them to be in a relationship. As McQuarrie puts it, “I was never really interested in creating a typical love interest for Ethan.”
On top of that, McQuarrie stated that, for Ethan, “Once that relationship consummates, that relationship is over.” This puts Ethan in line with other famous movie spies such as James Bond, whose womanizing tendencies are one of his major flaws. Ethan Hunt refuses to settle down, as his arc with his wife in Mission: Impossible – Fallout has proven.
Why Mission: Impossible Didn’t Follow Through With An Ethan & Ilsa Romance
Although a relationship between Ethan and Ilsa may have seemed like the logical next step for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, there’s actually a good reason why the film didn’t follow through with it. In the same interview, McQuarrie explained that it is very difficult to maintain a relationship that could keep the story interesting. McQuarrie didn’t want to have a “mundane resolution” for Ethan’s relationship, leading to him entirely leaving out a relationship.
On top of that, McQuarrie had a much more thematically appropriate plan for Ethan’s relationship with the other Mission: Impossible characters. McQuarrie says that he is “much more interested in seeing characters who could be [in a relationship] – and maybe even would be – but can’t because of the very nature of what they do.” This is one of the overarching themes of Mission: Impossible, with Ethan and the rest of the gang being forced to choose between normal lives and their lives as IMF agents. While it is sad, Ethan not being in a relationship with Ilsa is much better for the story of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.