Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning ending explained: A final mission of loss, survival, and uncertainty

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, which follows straight from Dead Reckoning Part One, is the much awaited finale to a two-part narrative and was released on May 23, 2025. Under the seasoned direction of Christopher McQuarrie, the film is about a fatal battle against "The Entity," a powerful rogue AI that aims to destroy the entire planet with nuclear weapons.

Tom Cruise reprises his iconic role as Ethan Hunt, leading the ensemble cast that includes Ving Rhames (Luther Stickell), Simon Pegg (Benji Dunn), Hayley Atwell (Grace) and Esai Morales (Gabriel). The plot follows Ethan and his team in a desperate race to secure crucial components – the "Podkova" source code and Luther's "Poison Pill" – to trap and neutralize the AI.

During the conclusion of Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, Ethan ultimately succeeds in keeping The Entity in check, but at a high personal cost, suggesting that his quest to protect the Earth is a lonely, never-ending watch.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers about Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. Viewer's discretion advised.

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Luther’s sacrifice, Ethan’s choice: Understanding the ending of Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning

Ethan Hunt sets out on a quest in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning with humanity's future in danger. The film's climax brings together years of suspense, intense action scenes, and emotional turns to provide an exciting, although somewhat unresolved, ending.

Early on in the mission, longtime ally Luther (played by Ving Rhames) gives his life. While trapped in London with a nuclear weapon, Luther disarms it long enough for Ethan to escape. With Grace, Benji, Paris, and new allies William Donloe and his wife Tapeesa joining them, Ethan's team is in a race against time to recover the essence of the renegade AI known as the "Entity," in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.

The key lies within the Podkova, a Russian submarine that has sunk. When Ethan secures the Podkova after a terrifying underwater mission, he emerges seriously hurt and is healed by Grace. Their next goal was to use the Podkova to trick the Entity into entering a doomsday vault in South Africa, and then use Luther's virus, the "Poison Pill," to trap it.

A dramatic conflict breaks out in the vault: CIA meddling, a nuclear danger, and a confrontation with rival Gabriel. While Grace, Paris, and a wounded Benji attempt to trap the AI, Donloe, Tapeesa, and Degas defuse the explosives. In a dramatic aerial fight, Ethan chases Gabriel in a biplane and recovers the Poison Pill.

While Ethan escapes by parachute, he connects the Pill to the Podkova in midair, locking the Entity in a physical drive. Gabriel dies in the battle, slamming into the rudder of his own plane. The aftermath unfolds in London. After Benji recovers, the IMF team gets back together, and Grace gives Ethan the disk that contains the Entity, which is now confined but not destroyed.

The conclusion of Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning suggests a future for Ethan Hunt that is more akin to a solitary vigil than a retirement. With The Entity contained but not destroyed, Ethan takes the monumental duty of preventing this deadly and incredibly powerful AI from ending up in the wrong hands.

He essentially disappears, taking on the role of the invisible defender of humanity's destiny. The final frames hint at a destiny chosen, not necessarily desired, where peace is maintained through an eternal, unseen burden.

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Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning hit the theatres on May 23, 2025, in the U.S. Stay tuned for more updates.