Owen Davian

Lore & Background

Owen Davian's conflict with Ethan Hunt is deeply personal. After being captured by Ethan's team in Vatican City, Davian remains unfazed during interrogation and responds by threatening to kill everyone for whom Ethan cares. Following his extraction from a convoy ambush on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Davian kidnaps Ethan's wife Julia and gives Ethan 48 hours to deliver the Rabbit's Foot in exchange for her life. When Ethan delivers the Rabbit's Foot, Davian tranquilizes him and implants a micro-explosive in his head similar to the one that killed Lindsey Farris. Davian then holds Julia at gunpoint and seemingly shoots her, though it is later revealed the victim was Davian's translator. Ethan ultimately kills Davian by throwing him in front of a semi-truck during a fight.

In Their Own Story

The humid air of Shanghai clung to Owen Davian as he stood atop the unfinished skyscraper, the city lights flickering below like a circuit board. He held the detonator with casual indifference, watching the chaos unfold on his monitors. To him, the screaming sirens were just background noise to the ringing of bank accounts being filled. 'Mr. Hunt is predictable,' Davian murmured into his earpiece, a smirk playing on his lips as he watched Ethan's desperate climb up the building's exterior. He believed he had already won by making the agent choose between saving the world or saving his wife. But as the glass shattered and Hunt burst through the window, Davian realized too late that some variables cannot be calculated.

Reader's Guide

Owen Davian first appears in Mission: Impossible III as an elusive arms dealer. His key mission involves obtaining a mysterious biological hazard codenamed the 'Rabbit's Foot' in Vatican City. Ethan's team successfully infiltrates the Vatican and captures Davian. On the return flight to the US, Davian is unfazed by Ethan's interrogation and responds by threatening to kill everyone for whom he cares. After being extracted from a convoy ambush on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Davian kidnaps Julia and gives Ethan 48 hours to deliver the Rabbit's Foot in exchange for her life. Ethan delivers the Rabbit's Foot, but Davian tranquilizes him and implants a micro-explosive in his head. Davian holds Julia at gunpoint and seemingly shoots her, though the victim is actually his translator. Ethan kills Davian by throwing him in front of a semi-truck.

Did You Know?

• Billy Bob Thornton was offered the role of Owen Davian but declined as he didn't want to be typecast as a villain.
• Philip Seymour Hoffman ultimately played Owen Davian.
• Davian is killed by Ethan Hunt, who throws him in front of a semi-truck.
• Davian implants a micro-explosive in Ethan's head, similar to the one that killed Lindsey Farris.
• Davian seemingly shoots Julia, but the victim is actually his translator.