The long-term fate of theTerminatorfranchise is undecided yet, but ifTerminator 7is to revitalize the franchise, then it needs to replace Arnold Schwarzenegger. Fortunately, the perfect replacement will appear on-screen with the Austrian action star in 2025. Despite a veritable rat’s nest of timeline chaos, Schwarzenegger has appeared inall sixTerminatormoviesin some capacity, whether it made narrative sense to include him or not. After2019’sTerminator: Dark Fatefailed spectacularlyat the box office despite decent reviews, the franchise was essentially put on ice.
However, hope was rekindled in 2024 when news spread that James Cameron, director of the first twoTerminatormovies, was working on asecretiveTerminatorprojectthat is believed to bethe script forTerminator 7. With the franchise back in Cameron’s hands, there is plenty of reason for optimism, but as of now the next sequel hasn’t yet been greenlit or officially announced. With Cameron’s attention largely dedicated to theAvatarfranchise, it will likely be quite some time before a sequel moves forward, but if it does, the franchise needs to move on from its most recognizable star.
Every Terminator Viewing Order: Chronological, Release, & More
The Terminator timeline is tricky so here are some of the potential viewing orders for movies in the Terminator franchise.
Why Terminator 7 Needs To Replace Arnold Schwarzenegger
The Nostalgia Sponge Has Been Wrung Dry
Cameron has already shared his vision forTerminator’s future, and one of the key points that he spoke about was the need to depart from everything that audiences know as far as the familiar visuals and characters. In place of the typical killer robots from the future,Cameron believes there would be storytelling value in leaning into more modern AI storytellingto help a new audience connect with the franchise. Six films into the franchise, the good will that comes with the nostalgia associated with the franchise’s iconic movies of the 1980s and 1990s has officially been wiped out.
1984
$6.4 million
$78.3 million
100%
89%
1991
$102 million
$520 million
91%
95%
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
2003
$187.3 million
$433.4 million
70%
46%
2009
$200 million
$371.4 million
33%
53%
2015
$158 million
$440.6 million
26%
52%
2019
$196 million
$261.6 million
82%
Unfortunately, the most significant bit of iconography that needs to be jettisoned is the franchise’s reliance on Arnold Schwarzenegger. Later entries in the franchise have shoehorned him in despite it severely muddying the timeline and taking focus away from what could have been a riveting new story line if it had been allowed to branch out from the Connor family and the T-800. If the franchise is going to get a proper reboot withTerminator 7, thenArnold Schwarzenegger has to be well and truly done with the series.
The Perfect Actor To Replace Arnold Schwarzenegger In Terminator 7
Another Massive, Muscular Action Star Could Be The Franchise’s New Face
TheTerminatorfranchise is in desperate need of a new star that can operate as a through line between entries, and fortunately one current action star is the perfect fit. The star of Amazon Prime Video’sReacher, Alan Ritchson, would make a great replacement for Schwarzeneggergiven his almost comically-large size and musculature, stoic demeanor, and action chops. While it’s not necessary for Ritchson to essentially be the same character as the T-800, a similarly droll, serious, robotic persona would go a long way towards making the transition between the two characters smooth.
Alan Ritchson recently starred in the tenth entry of theFast and Furiousfranchise as the double agent Aimes, and as the Nazi-killing Danish officer Anders Lassen in Guy Ritchie’s action comedyThe Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.
Fittingly enough,Ritchson and Schwarzenegger will share a screen in 2025with Amazon MGM Studios’The Man with the Bag. The Christmas comedy will feature Schwarzenegger as Santa Claus himself, and Ritchson as a thief on the naughty list recruited to help Santa recover his stolen magical bag. While a Christmas-themed comedy is a far cry from the seriousness of theTerminatorfranchise, seeing Ritchson side-by-side with Schwarzenegger seems like a great way to sell the greater movie-going audience on his ability to replace the legendary action star.
Terminator 7 Would Still Have A Lot Of Hurdles To Overcome Even If It Replaces Schwarzenegger
Interest In The Franchise Seems To Be At An All-Time Low
Even with a breakout star taking the mantle of the franchise star and James Cameron penning a new script,Terminator 7will need to do some truly heavy lifting to revitalize the now-exhausted franchise.Terminator: Dark Fateattempted to clean up the franchise’s timeline by ignoring everything sinceTerminator 2: Judgment Day, and despite a mostly positive critical reception that billed it as a return to form for the franchise, there was simply no interest from the action/sci-fi audience, resulting in one of the biggest box office flops in movie history.
Terminator 7would be tasked with not only regaining franchise fans whose interest fizzled with each lackluster sequel, but also withbringing in a brand-new generation of fans who don’t have fond memories to look back on. If anyone can do it, it’s James Cameron, but it definitely seems like letting the franchise lie for a bit longer is the right move. After a long enough window, theTerminatorfranchise could take a true shot at a reboot, moving on from Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Connor story once and for all.
