In the 1996 film Mission: Impossible, the surname of Tom Cruise’s IMF agent is Hunt: Ethan Hunt. He is introduced as a skilled field operative who becomes the only apparent survivor of a disastrous mission in Prague.
After most of his team is killed, Hunt discovers that the operation was likely a setup designed to expose a mole inside the Impossible Missions Force. Because his superiors suspect him, he goes on the run and recruits disavowed agents, including computer specialist Luther Stickell, to uncover the truth and clear his name.
The surname can be confused with other names in the film and franchise. Jim Phelps is Hunt’s mentor and team leader in the 1996 movie, while William Brandt appears much later in the series. Carter is not the surname of Cruise’s character. Ethan Hunt is the central protagonist of every Mission: Impossible film, making his name one of the franchise’s defining facts.
Directed by Brian De Palma, the 1996 movie rebooted the television concept as a feature-film spy thriller. It also established Cruise’s long-running role as both star and major producer of the series.