Disavow any connection between TV series and movies

I liked it though it's only fair that when it comes time to replace Cruise with someone younger they should consider making Ethan Hunt a villain too (a choice that would play into Cruise's strengths as an actor).

Mission: Impossible’s Villain Reveal Was a Major Mistake

https://popculturereferences.com/mission-impossibles-villain-reveal-was-a-major-mistake/

In the first Mission: Impossible movie, Phelps is still in charge of the main IMF team (only played by Jon Voight now), with Cruise’s Ethan Hunt as his point man. However, for some unfathomable reason, it is revealed that Phelps has turned bad, disgusted by the post-Cold War world of spycraft, and he becomes the main villain of the film.

It’s just an astonishingly bad idea to do a film adaptation of a popular TV series, KEEP the lead character from the show and have him become a villain. The only thing in its favor is that it is a surprise, but it’s surprising because it’s such a bad idea. For instance, you’ll never expect Batman to just knife Robin in the ribs in the middle of the next Batman movie, but it doesn’t mean that it is a good idea.

Similarly, taking the beloved star, the only real constant in the Mission: Impossible universe before the film series, and having him become a bad guy is essentially telling the very fans who you are turning to because they like the property and figuratively slapping them in the face.

Heroically killing Jim Phelps off and having his protegee take over as the lead of the series is totally normal, and would have been a fine approach. Not tying into the original series PERIOD would have been fine, too, with Ethan just part of a different IMF team, or just doing a total reboot would have been fine.

But to tie into the original series while making the original star the BAD GUY? Why would you do that? Who does that? It doesn’t make any sense.

I mean, whatever, obviously, as a fan, you just treat this as a whole different continuity and that this Jim Phelps is a different Jim Phelps than the TV show Jim Phelps, but it is still an extra little annoying thing that was very unnecessary.

cast Peter Graves as Jim Phelps (Peter Graves wouldve been like an A list star in a MI movie, like Shatner in a Star Trek film, a much bigger deal than Jon Voight)