At one point, Terminator 2's Edward Furlong was set to reprise his role of John Connor in Terminator 3, but he eventually lost the part to Nick Stahl. In The Terminator, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) is targeted by a cybernetic killing machine from the future. She's told by the man sent back to protect her, Kyle Reese, that she'll one day give birth to a son named John, who's destined to lead the human resistance to victory over the evil Skynet A.I.

Sarah survives, and in 1991 sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day, fans got to meet John in person, albeit his child self. Furlong portrayed this version of John, a smartass kid with a knack for getting into trouble, but flashes of his future self can still be seen. It's through John that Arnold Schwarzenegger's reprogrammed T-800 learns human values like empathy and compassion, and that life is never to be taken lightly, no matter the given situation. Young John may have been a bit whiny at times, but Furlong still earned a place in fans' hearts.

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That's why so many Terminator devotees were upset when Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines finally came along in 2003, and Furlong's John Connor was nowhere to be found. Instead, the part was recast with Nick Stahl, a fine actor, but someone who didn't at all feel like someone Furlong's John would grow up to be. Here's why that happened.

Terminator 3: Why Edward Furlong Didn't Return as John Connor

Edward Furlong and Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2 Judgment Day

It may surprise some fans to know, considering that Edward Furlong's acting career hadn't exactly taken off like a rocket in the years since, that he was indeed originally planned to return as John Connor for Terminator 3. In fact, he signed on for the sequel in August 2000, just two months after Arnold Schwarzenegger confirmed his involvement. Unfortunately, Furlong has long had issues with drug addiction, and the period right around then ended up being particularly rough for him. His first rehab stint occurred in October 2000, and he would later be charged with further drug offenses and driving while under the influence.

According to reports from the time, Warner Bros. was worried that Furlong's quite public run-ins with the law and issues with substance abuse could jeopardize the production, which was set to be a very expensive affair. With that in mind, they made the call to fire him from the project, and begin looking for a new actor to play John Connor. Thankfully, Furlong seems to be in a much better place personally nowadays, and made a brief return - via CGI - in 2019's Terminator: Dark Fate. Furlong has since lamented his unfortunate exit from Terminator 3 in interviews, but concedes that his issues back in 2000 ensured his return wasn't meant to be.

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