The Terminator franchise is one of the most popular science fiction movie franchises of all time. Beginning in 1984, the series has continued to captivate old and new fans alike, continuing its intriguing and compelling plots, while grappling with the intriguing themes and concerns it raises about the impact of artificial intelligence on society. One of the mainstays of the Terminator franchise has been Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has become synonymous with the franchise.
However, he will not be able to appear in the franchise forever. Consequently, this article will give 5 reasons why the Terminator franchise should keep Schwarzenegger and 5 why it shouldn’t.
Need: Schwarzenegger's Star Power
Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the most recognizable actors of the past few decades, with the former bodybuilder becoming one of the biggest action stars on the planet during the 1980s and 1990s. While the actor took a break from cinema during his run as Governor of California, this changed after he left the role.
Recently, Schwarzenegger has been undergoing a career renaissance of late, with the actor turning in brilliant performances over the past few years. There has never been a better time to star Schwarzenegger in a film.
Move On: Commercial Failure Of Dark Fate
While it would be unfair to blame the commercial failure of Dark Fate on Arnold Schwarzenegger, it could either cause the studio to either put the series on ice for a while or use this as an excuse to restart the series from scratch with new actors.
While the Terminator series is one of the most loved movie franchises of all time, it has been declining in popularity over recent years, perhaps a drastic change away from its foundations would lead to a new and successful era in the Terminator series, allowing for both critical and box office success.
Need: Soft Reboot
The issues with the Terminator franchise have been prevalent for a while, with the sequels after Judgement Day being poorly received, both commercially and among fans. As a result, Dark Fate was a soft reset for the franchise, bringing back Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor in the process.
This soft reboot was a success among critics and fans, so there is definitely room to continue with the older actors if the studio greenlights a sequel.
Move On: Different Storylines
The main storyline in the Terminator franchise has been the plot to protect John Connor, this typically revolves around sending a Terminator or agent back to the past to protect John Connor from another time-traveling Terminator.
While the importance of the future robot apocalypse will always remain vital to the overarching plot, focussing on a different aspect of the story (moving away from the Schwarzenegger movies) will allow for a different take on the franchise.
Need: Well-Loved By Fans
Nostalgia is one of the biggest driving forces in modern cinema. It is the force of nostalgia that has caused studios to remake, reboot, and release new sequels to older and well-loved movies, with Ghostbusters being the most recent in the list of movies.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is so well-loved by fans that removing the Austrian actor from the franchise would be very risky and could remove the heart from the franchise entirely.
Move On: A New Terminator Hero
There is no denying that Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator is one of the most influential and iconic movie characters of all time, the Terminator is endlessly quotable and instantly recognizable in the role.
That being said, bringing in a new actor to play the Terminator, perhaps even having a different Terminator model, would freshen up the series in a similar manner to the Doctor's regeneration in Doctor Who.
Need: Huge Part Of The Mythos
There is no denying that Arnold Schwarzenegger is the central element of the Terminator series. The actor's likeness became the standard design for Terminators in the series, explaining Schwarzenegger's return across several different movies.
This vital piece of information means it isn't just fan service to have Schwarzenegger in the movies, it is vital to the story. As Marvel has shown recently, CGI can also help de-age actors, meaning Schwarzenegger could easily appear for some time.
Move On: Age
Arnold Schwarzenegger has been part of the Terminator franchise since 1984. While this has made the Austrian actor a vital and instantly recognizable part of the franchise, the significant length of time that Schwarzenegger has been a part of the franchise has also allowed the actor's age to cause issues, both in making the films and writing the films.
The aging actor means that writers must come up with an in-universe reason as to why the Terminator is now an older man. Additionally, Schwarzenegger's age also prevents him from doing as much action as he would have done previously.
Need: Iconic
The iconic nature of Schwarzenegger's role in the series would make it incredibly difficult to replace the actor. A similar scenario would be having an Indiana Jones movie without Harrison Ford, it would take something out of the spirit of the series.
The integral nature of Arnold Schwarzenegger to the Terminator franchise makes it difficult to imagine a movie without the towering Austrian actor.
Move On: Dark Fate Gave An Ending To The T-800
As has been said several times in this article, Dark Fate was received very well among fans of the Terminator franchise. Despite the poor box office reception of the movie, the film told a very good story that fans and critics enjoyed.
This film also gives the perfect excuse to move on from Schwarzenegger, with the T-800 from the original Terminator movie dying in order to protect John Connor.