It was once a giant. But now the Terminator franchise is struggling to even make a name for itself in the Box Office. The last Terminator movie – Terminator: Dark Fate, was a huge letdown. The franchise is on its last legs. Nothing short of a miracle can save it now. But here’s the thing – the franchise does have an ace up its sleeve. To revitalize Terminator, Terminator 7 must bring back the OG villain who made us fall in love with the franchise. Arnold Schwarzenegger must return but not as a protagonist. He must be the villain.
The original Terminator movie showed us Arnie as a ruthless hunter-killer android from the future. His mission is to kill Sarah Connor, mother of John Connor, future leader of humanity. The second movie saw Cameron flipping the script. Arnie’s T-800 was now a guardian angel, protecting a young John Connor from the T-1000.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day was the final movie Cameron actively participated in. Terminator 3 and the subsequent sequels failed to make an impact. Cameron’s absence and the T-800’s change in allegiances played a vital role in the franchise’s downfall.
Cameron is returning to the franchise, supposedly in an active role. So Terminator 7 must reciprocate by turning back the wheels of time. Arnold Schwarzenegger should come back but like the way Cameron originally conceptualized the character.
T-800 Was Originally Infamous For Being A Nigh-Unstoppable Killer
In the first Terminator movie, the T-800 from the future is here for one thing and one thing alone – an absolute bloodbath. It never cared if there was collateral damage. The blood and gore was what made the movie so appealing back then. James Cameron has said on record that Arnie was confused with the script for Terminator 2. He believed his character is good at storming into a room full of people and killing each and everyone of them. Schwarzenegger called it T-800’s signature move. The character has been turned into a harmless protector whose only job is to act like a chauffeur to the whims and fancies of the protagonist.
Indeed, a very insulting stain on the legacy of the T-800.
Terminator: Dark Fate & Genisys Further Prove Our Point
Dark Fate showed promise at first. The very opening scene showed T-800 standing beside a defenseless young John Connor, and then killing him in cold blood. But then the movie flipped the script on itself. The T-800, in the future, is a suburban step-dad who is now nearing retirement. In Genisys, the T-800 is now called “Pops” by Emilia Clarke’s character. The franchise is finding it hard to let go of T-800’s anodyne transformation. Genisys and Dark Fate are proof.
Terminator 7 Must Kill Off The Connors, Create An Alternate Timeline
The Connor family has run its course. When a franchise relies too much on a name, it suffers in the end. star wars understood the logic and finally let go of the Skywalkers in the sequel trilogy. The Terminator franchise must do the same. Dark Fate has already teased killing the Connors permanently isn’t entirely off the table.
By letting Sarah and John Connor die, Terminator 7 can essentially reboot the entire timeline. Whole new bunch of characters could make their entry into the movies. Humanity is back to being stomped under the machines’ feet. And Arnie’s T-800 can finally get his salvation.
The slasher movie charm of 1984’s Terminator is what the new film needs to resurrect the comatose movie series.
