TheTerminatorfranchise is in the process of expanding with more movies but with big changes, and ifTerminator 7casts this popular actor as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s replacement, I hope it will copy the franchise’s most iconic twist. James Cameron is the mind behind some of the most successful movies in the sci-fi genre (andTitanic, of course), and it all started withThe Terminatorin 1984. Directed and co-written by Cameron,The Terminatorstarred Arnold Schwarzenegger and was the movie that established him as an action star.
Despite initially getting mixed reviews,The Terminatorwas a box-office success, spawning a popular and profitable franchise. At the time of writing,theTerminatorfranchisehas a total of six movies, two TV shows, three web series, and more. Of course,the strength of theTerminatorfranchise is its movies, though their quality has been inconsistent. The most recent entry in theTerminatormovie saga wasDark Fate, in 2019, which became one of the biggest box-office bombs of all time. Now, the saga will reportedly continue with some changes, and there’s one actor perfect to take over Schwarzenegger’s iconic role.
Alan Ritchson Keeps Proving He Would Be Great For Terminator
Image via Prime Video
Plans to keep expanding the film branch of theTerminatorfranchise were first mentioned in 2022 when James Cameron revealed that there was an intention to reboot the saga (viaSmartlesspodcast).TheTerminatorreboot would most likely have a new cast and reset the continuity of the saga, with Cameron saying he wanted to focus more on the AI side rather than the robots “gone crazy.” In 2023, Schwarzenegger shared he wouldn’t return to the franchise after the last movies weren’t “well-written” (viaIndieWire), with Hamilton also revealing in 2024 that she won’t return (viaBusiness Insider).
Terminator Tried & Failed To Replace Arnold Schwarzenegger On 4 Different Occasions, Showing How Hard Terminator 7 Really Is
Every Terminator movie since T2 has tried to introduce a new actor as the face of the franchise, but no one can replace Arnold Schwarzenegger.
In September 2024, Cameron confirmed that he’s working on moreTerminatormovies, and confirmed that he will drop the specific iconography of the saga (viaEmpire). This includes not bringing the characters of Schwarzenegger and Hamilton back, instead having a new cast and a new approach to the world ofTerminator. Now, finding the right replacement for Schwarzenegger might seem like a big challenge, but there’s one actor who has been continuously proving he could take that spot: Alan Ritchson.
Ritchson made his acting debut inSmallvilleas Arthur Curry a.k.a. Aquaman in 2005, and the following year he made his big screen debut in the horror movieThe Butcher. After more movie and TV roles, most notably Raphael inTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesand its sequel and Hawk in the TV seriesTitans,Ritchson became widely known when he was cast as Jack Reacher in Prime Video’sReacher. The show has established Ritchson as an action star, which, along with his charm and talent, makes him the perfect choice to replace Schwarzenegger in a futureTerminatormovie.
The Franchise’s Greatest Trick Was How It Handled Its Main Character’s Shift
It’s unclear how differentTerminator 7would be, as Cameron hasn’t been detailed about how much the reboot would change what we all know and love about the franchise (and he might never reveal much, to be honest). However, what I would like to see if Ritchson joins the Terminator world is him being a bad Terminator first, pretty much like Schwarzenegger’s version.In his first appearance, Schwarzenegger’s Terminator is sent from 2029 back to 1984 to kill Sarah Connorto prevent the birth of her son, John Connor, the future leader of the Human Resistance.
I would love to see Ritchson follow that path and see him first as an antagonist Terminator determined to kill his target before seeing him in a more heroic role.
In the sequel,Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Schwarzenegger’s character had a completely different role.He’s revealed to have been reprogrammed by future John Connor and sent back to 1995 to protect his young selffrom an advanced, shapeshifting Terminator sent to kill him. I would love to see Ritchson follow that path and see him first as an antagonist Terminator determined to kill his target before seeing him in a more heroic role, a side of him the audience is more used to.
All Of The Terminator Models From The Movies, Ranked By Power
Throughout the Terminator movies, there have been plenty of powerful machines from Skynet. Which Terminator model is the strongest though?
Terminator 7 & 8 Could Reverse The Franchise’s Big Judgment Day Twist
Terminator 7 & 8 Could Do Something Different But Still On-Brand
A fun option that I would also like to see in Ritchson’s Terminator era is a reverseJudgment Daytwist. With this I mean that,instead of Ritchson’s Terminator being a villain in his first movie, he could be a hero in it, giving the audience something more familiar so they can get used to seeing him as the iconic character. Then, for a potentialTerminator 8, Ritchson’s Terminator could be the villain, which would also give some extra drama to the story as he was already known as a hero.
There are different paths theTerminatorreboot can take while staying true to the essence of the franchise. As mentioned above, as Cameron hasn’t shared many details about his idea for the future ofTerminator, it’s hard to say how different or similar the title character would be, but hopefully, there will be more interesting twists and exciting stories.
