Irons and Cormack are opposing father figures in Mitchell's life.but his facial expression makes it clear that in the end he just can't shoot the man who he considers a second son. Finally, at the end, he could have shot Mitchell, but he hesitates and finally runs away, saying he isn't a monster. Later, in the prison, he again acts like a furious father, and the whole scene where he smashes Mitchell's artificial arm is like a combination of an angry parent taking back the car keys from an unruly teenager and an abusive parent beating their kid for defiance. When he first jumps Mitchell and Ilona after she reveals Irons' involvement in the KVA's plot, he acts more like a disappointed dad who found his kids doing something they weren't supposed to and even just tells his guards to hold Mitchell and Ilona until the media has left. At first, this looks like Bond Villain Stupidity, but if you pay attention to how Irons treats Mitchell, its clear that he actually considers Mitchell a Replacement Goldfish for his dead son Will. Every time Irons has Mitchell at his mercy, he spares him.
