Ethan Hunt—not a utilitarian

What makes a hero?

(Warning: Contains spoilers about Mission: Impossible—Fallout.)

I often think about Mission: Impossible—Fallout. It’s one of the better movies in the series, coming in second to my favorite, Mission: Impossible III. (See here for why III is the best.). Fallout is fun and exciting, with some stand-out action scenes, including a suspenseful chase in the streets of Paris and a spectacular bathroom fight. But this isn’t why the movie sticks with me.

Some background: The Mission: Impossible movie series started in 1996 and is based on a popular TV show with a catchy theme.

The series focuses on the adventures of the Impossible Missions Force, led by Ethan Hunt, played by Tom Cruise. Hunt is the anti-James Bond. He works with a team and cares deeply about them. He is married through many of the movies, separating from his wife largely because of concerns about her safety. He doesn't sleep around. He is serious, intense, and prone to long, thoughtful stares. I’m not sure whether he has ever made a wisecrack.

Hunt can be emotional, often getting choked up at the thought of someone he loves being harmed. He is polite, calling his superiors “sir” and “ma’am” (even when there’s some complicated double-cross or triple-cross going on and he’s pointing a gun at them.) He tells people how much he cares about them. He apologizes a lot. (Fallout ends with Hunt lying on an army cot, wounded after saving the world. He is surrounded by his team, and he is crying and apologizing to his ex-wife.)

What interests me the most about Ethan Hunt, though, is his rejection of utilitarianism.