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Think Mission: Impossible and your mind will likely wander to one of Tom Cruise’s many death-defying stunts. Beyond the rope climbs and skydives, however, is a beating, pulsing heart at the centre of the franchise – anchored by Ving Rhames’ Luther.
The computer whizz has appeared in every single Mission: Impossible movie to date and is, inexplicably, still one of its most underappreciated characters. Alongside Benji (Simon Pegg), he is the glue that holds the IMF together, a level-headed presence that reins Ethan in when required but, conversely, fires him up when the going gets tough.
Yes, Cruise’s daredevil antics may have propelled the franchise into the upper echelons of action cinema but, make no mistake, we wouldn’t care as much if his bromance with Luther didn’t operate as the emotional connective tissue across Mission’s past, present, and future.
Luther is also the series’ Swiss Army Knife, proving equally adept at comedy – his dynamic with Billy Baird in Mission: Impossible 2 elevates some of its driest scenes – or tragedy. Luther peeling back Ethan’s history with Julia in the incredible "I should’ve been there" conversation with Ilsa in Mission: Impossible – Fallout arguably does more for Ethan’s character than Cruise himself. That’s no mean feat.
But it could all have been very different – if Mission: Impossible made its worst mistake. As confirmed in an interview with Buzzfeed, Rhames revealed that Luther was initially meant to be killed off in the first instalment back in 1996.
"I remember saying to [director Brian De Palma], 'Look, why is it that the Black man dies 15 pages into the [script]?’ I said that kind of jokingly, but it was the truth in many films," Rhames said. "So then they changed the script, and I lived."
De Palma relented, turning Luther from a bit-part footnote in Mission: Impossible’s history to one of its leading lights – joining the likes of Breaking Bad’s Jesse and Stranger Things’ Steve in being granted a stay of execution.
Ethan's eyes
You only have to look to Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol to see how important Luther (and Rhames) is to the series. In what felt like a heavy-handed attempt to move the new generation to the forefront of the franchise, the fourth movie relegated Luther to a mere cameo as Ethan and his team debriefed in Seattle.
In his stead, the likes of Jeremy Renner’s Brandt and Paula Patton’s Jane Carter took centre stage for the bulk of the movie. While they certainly excelled, a rewatch reveals a similar response to the one I had years ago, being unable to shake the feeling that the gang isn’t all there until Luther (and his hat) steps into frame once more.
For big Mission-heads like myself, Luther’s brief appearance here is the IMF equivalent of Bob Odenkirk walking in during Little Women: warm, cathartic – and gives you a stark reminder of that intangible, ungraspable thing you realize has been missing all along.
And then, yes, there are the hats. Despite Mission: Impossible occasionally stepping into Bond’s turf, its sartorial influence – Cruise’s ill-fated 2000s fits still linger – hasn’t really carried over. Thankfully, Luther picks up the pieces, delivering a much-needed suave factor across most of its seven films with his many, many pork pie hats. Walter White, eat your heart out.
Which brings us to today. There’s a discourse currently raging about a certain death in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. Don’t worry, it’s not Luther. In fact, it never could be. Director Christopher McQuarrie clearly recognizes that Ving Rhames’ techie is essentially untouchable; he is weaved into the fabric of the franchise and is only second to Ethan in terms of importance. You lose Luther, you lose Mission: Impossible. It’s that simple.
So here’s to Luther, Ethan’s BFF through thick and thin. Ving Rhames may not capture the headlines but, like his hacker character, he effortlessly works in the shadows to keep everything ticking along. We don’t know where Mission: Impossible would be without him.
Light the fuse with our ranking of the best Mission: Impossible movies.
