Luther Stickell
The IMF's master hacker — and the friend who always has Ethan's back.
Luther Stickell is a fictional character in the Mission: Impossible film series who first appeared in the 1996 film Mission: Impossible and is one of the few characters to appear in seven of the eight films, though he is absent from Ghost Protocol. In the films, Luther is an expert computer hacker who works for the IMF (Impossible Missions Force), a separate agency from the CIA, alongside Ethan Hunt. He is portrayed by Ving Rhames. Over the course of the series, Luther's character goes from being a soft-spoken, down-to-business and reliable team member to being Ethan's most trusted friend and confidant.
Quick Facts
- Series
- Mission: Impossible
- First
- Mission: Impossible (1996)
- Last
- Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025)
- Creator
- David Koepp
- Robert Towne
- Steven Zaillian
- Voice
- Ving Rhames (Operation Surma); John Eric Bentley (Lego Dimensions)
- Portrayed by
- Ving Rhames
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- IMF Agent
Lore & Background
Luther Stickell first appears in Mission: Impossible as an active IMF agent recruited by Ethan Hunt for a personal mission. Ethan baits him by reminding Luther of his reputation in the hacking community. Luther triggers a fire alarm by planting a smoke bomb, poses as a firefighter to breach the CIA, and provides the password for the NOC list terminal after reading it from a monitor in the security room. After the mission, Luther celebrates with Ethan at a British pub, musing he is 'the flavor of the month' and that he will 'miss being disreputable.'
In Mission: Impossible 2, Luther uses a satellite phone and tracking device to monitor Nyah Nordoff-Hall, a mole planted inside Sean Ambrose's complex; he assists remotely and is never in direct danger from a bomb. In Mission: Impossible III, Luther helps abduct Owen Davian and provides a pull-away mask and voice patch for Ethan. It is revealed in Fallout that after Ethan and Julia fake her death, Luther helped Julia disappear to avoid being hunted.
Reader's Guide
Luther Stickell first appeared in the 1996 film Mission: Impossible and is the only character besides Ethan Hunt to appear in all eight films. He is an expert computer hacker who works for the IMF division of the CIA alongside Ethan Hunt, portrayed by Ving Rhames. Over the series, Luther goes from being a soft-spoken, down-to-business and reliable team member to being Ethan's most trusted friend and confidant. In Mission: Impossible, he is recruited as 'Cyber-Ops' and performs the 'Mount Everest of hacks' — breaching the CIA to steal the NOC list.
In Mission: Impossible 2, he uses GPS tracking satellites and nearly dies when a bomb destroys his van. In Mission: Impossible III, he activates remote-controlled sentry machine guns, helps abduct Owen Davian, and provides a pull-away mask and voice patch. In Fallout, it is revealed he taught Julia how to be a 'ghost.' In Ghost Protocol, he meets Ethan for a beer in Seattle and mocks his 'MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!' yell.
In Rogue Nation, he hacks a Russian satellite, retires rather than betray Ethan, and is called back by Brandt, affirming his belief in Ethan's judgment.
Did You Know?
- In Mission: Impossible III, Declan Gormley activated remote-controlled sentry machine guns to create chaos during an infiltration.
- In Ghost Protocol, the nuclear warhead is disabled in Mumbai, not the San Francisco Bay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Luther Stickell?
Luther Stickell is a core member of the Impossible Missions Force portrayed by Ving Rhames. He serves as the team's primary technical expert and field operative throughout the film series.
How did he become part of Ethan's team?
He originally worked alongside Jim Phelps before the agency betrayed them during the first film's events. Luther remained loyal to Ethan Hunt after that betrayal and has supported him ever since.
More in Agents & Operatives
Elsewhere in Mission Impossible
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