While theTerminatormovies still refuse to replace Arnold Schwarzenegger’s original T-800, the most obviously perfect new actor is available to the franchise’s creators. AlthoughSarah Connor’sTerminatorfranchise fatehas changed countless times thanks to the many timelines of the series, another character always finds a way to return to the series. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 was the villain of 1984’sThe Terminator, but he became the hero ofTerminator 2: Judgment Daythanks to some off-screen reprogramming. ByTerminator 3: Rise of the Machines, he had replaced Sarah as the franchise’s focus.
Every subsequentmovie in theTerminatortimelinefound a way to reintegrate Schwarzenegger’s T-800, despite how tortured this made the logic of the series.Terminator: Salvationhad a digitally de-aged Arnold Schwarzenegger appear as a T-800 amid one post-apocalyptic battle sequence.Terminator GenisysandTerminator: Dark Fatefeatured olderversions of the T-800, one of whom raised an alternate Sarah Connor, the other one of whom assassinated John Connor as a teenager. The obvious logical issues with these comebacks were all ignored in favor of facilitating the star’s return.
Alan Ritchson Would Be Nothing But Perfect As The Next Terminator
The Reacher Star Balances Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Intimidating Physique With Charisma
The reason this practice shocks me is thatI’m not sure theTerminatorseries really needs Arnold Schwarzenegger’s original T-800 anymore. Ever sinceTerminator 3: Rise of the Machines, the T-800 has been a predictable presence whose consistent comebacks scarcely surprise fans of the franchise. WhenTerminator Zerorecast Schwarzenegger’s Terminatorwith Timothy Olyphant’s new model in 2024, the result was a scarier, more unpredictable Terminator than viewers had seen in years.
Every newTerminatorproject has introduced new Terminator models, but never a new T-800 that wasn’t played by Schwarzenegger.
As such, it seems obvious thatReacherstar Alan Ritchson should play the Terminator in the franchise’s next reboot. Instead of bringing back Schwarzenegger once again, the series should finally recast the original T-800. Until now, every newTerminatorproject has introduced new Terminator models, but never a new T-800 that wasn’t played by Schwarzenegger. Ritchson has the same hulking physicality as the iconic star, andhis performance inReacherproves he can be just as intimidating as Schwarzenegger.
We’ve Seen Plenty Of New Terminators, But Never Replacing Schwarzenegger
The T-800 Has Never Been Recast Although Schwarzenegger’s Terminator Has Been Replaced
Whenever a T-800 or one of its many variants appears in aTerminatormovie, the robot assassin has always been played by Schwarzenegger. Since Schwarzenegger is the biggest star associated with the series, this often inevitably outshines the otherwise interesting newTerminatorvillains. While imagining a new T-800 may seem as tough as picturingtheTerminatorfranchise without John Connor, I’m convinced that Ritchson’s proven mainstream appeal makes replacing the character a plausible possibility for the first time in years.
Why Terminator Genisys Recast Sarah Connor (But Brought Arnold Schwarzenegger Back)
Terminator Genisys recast Kyle Reese and Sarah Connor but not Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800, a strange decision that was technically justified.
Already, Ritchson has succeeded in bringing Lee Childs’ Reacher to life after A-list superstar Tom Cruise’s movies in the role failed to leave an impression on viewers and critics. Ritchson’s build, his charisma, and the fact that viewers mostly know him for a heroic role all mean that he would be perfect as the villain of aTerminatorreboot.A new T-800 was always going to be a hard sell, but theTerminatorfranchise always needed to replace Schwarzenegger eventually, and I believe they have the perfect chance to do so with Ritchson.
How Alan Ritchson’s Terminator Would Be Different From Arnold Schwarzenegger’s
Alan Ritchson Could Do Much More Than A Schwarzenegger Impression
You wouldn’t cast Alan Ritchson just to do an Arnold Schwarzenegger impression, even thoughtheReacheractor could most definitely pull off a more traditional Terminator inspired by the T-800.Given his physique and the nature of his most famous roles, it would be easy for aTerminatormovie starring Alan Ritchson to simply have him play a one-note, tough-guy killing machine that would resemble what Schwarzenegger did with the T-800. However, Ritchson has shown that he can do more than that. Even his Jack Reacher performance has some very interesting nuances.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has played multiple Terminators in theTerminatorfranchise, with every movie featuring at least one new version of the T-800. He also played Sgt. William Candy, the human model for the original Terminators, in a bonus scene forTerminator 3: Rise of the Machineswhose canon status is open for debate.
How exactly a Terminator played by Alan Ritchson would differ from the ones played by Arnold Schwarzenegger depends on the story. For example, if Ritchson were to play a villain like Schwarzenegger did in the firstTerminator, there would likely be less room for a more charismatic, human take on the character. If he were to play a redeemed or morally ambiguous Terminator,Ritchson could reuse some of the choices he made for Jack Reacher, a character that comes off as charismatic and compelling despite being a man of very few words.
The Next Terminator Movie Will Need An Exciting Hook After Multiple Disappointments
Terminator 7 Can’t Repeat The Previous Movies' Mistakes
Terminator 7, whenever it happens, needs to have some sort of exciting hook to convince audiences to revisit a franchise that has let them down multiple times. Bringing back iconicTerminatoractors such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton simply will not work anymore after movies likeTerminator: GenisysandTerminator: Dark Fateproved beyond doubt that nostalgia is not the way to save the franchise.In fact,Terminator 7’s storyneeds to move away from the previous films as much as possible and do something new and exciting. Casting Alan Ritchson as the main Terminator would do just that.
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Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
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Not only is Ritchson a virtually perfect choice to play a Terminator, but he has also shown that he is willing to take risks, including playing the second live-action incarnation of a character who was previously portrayed by no other than Tom Cruise. “Replacing” Arnold Schwarzenegger as the face of a franchise he helped build would be a massive challenge for any actor, but Ritchson is the absolutely right choice should there be a new Terminator character that is somewhat similar to the T-800.
Terminator Finally Calls Out Skynet’s Ridiculous Plan After 6 Movies Doing The Same Thing
The Terminator franchise has finally acknowledged how Skynet and the resistance have been doing the same thing over and over in every movie.
Regardless of who will play the next Terminator – or Terminators, most likely –Terminator 7needs to find the right balance between honoring the saga’s history and doing something new.Terminator Zerowas the firstTerminatorproject sinceThe Sarah Connor Chroniclesnot to include Arnold Schwarzenegger, and that didn’t prevent it from being one of the best entries in the entire franchise. Casting the right actors for the Terminator roles is important, but so is reinventing this world after a series of missteps.
