Franchise co-creator James Cameron confirmed the news in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, saying it’s time to move on and focus on new characters.
“I can safely say he won’t be [in it],” Cameron said. “It’s time for a new generation of characters.” He explained that Arnold Schwarzenegger had a proper send-off in Terminator: Dark Fate, which he considers a fitting end to Schwarzenegger’s time as the T-800.
Cameron added that the future of the franchise needs to explore bigger ideas. He wants to expand on the concept of artificial intelligence and time wars, rather than leaning on familiar faces or old storylines. “I want to do new stuff that people aren’t imagining,” he said.
Schwarzenegger has been closely tied to the franchise since the original 1984 film and appeared in nearly every sequel. The only exception was 2009’s Terminator Salvation, where he didn’t appear on screen, though his likeness was used for a CGI cameo.
Earlier this year, Schwarzenegger spoke about the series during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live. When asked which Terminator movie he thought was the worst, he pointed to Terminator Salvation. Speaking to host Andy Cohen, he joked that making a Terminator movie without him “doesn’t make any sense.”
It seems clear now that Schwarzenegger wasn’t aware of Cameron’s long-term plans at the time.
Cameron also shared that work on the seventh Terminator film will begin after he finishes promoting Avatar: Fire and Ash. He stressed that he doesn’t want to rely on callbacks or nostalgia in the next chapter.
“The things that scare you the most are exactly the things you should be doing,” Cameron said. “Nobody should be operating artistically from a comfort zone.”
For better or worse, the future of Terminator will move forward without its most famous face — and Cameron seems ready to take that risk.
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