While one of the many canceled Terminator sequels may not seem like anything special, the film could have actually succeeded where Terminator: Dark Fate failed. The Terminator franchise is no stranger to reboots, retcons, and canceled projects, with all kinds of Terminator projects trying and failing to recapture the magic of James Cameron’s two original films. Despite this, the Terminator franchise isn’t impossible to salvage, and it just might have been saved if one canceled sequel had the chance to attempt Terminator: Dark Fate‘s strategy earlier.
Ever since the release of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the franchise has gone downhill fast, with Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines causing a domino effect of multiple critical and commercial failures. The first of these was Terminator Salvation, which then led to the failures of Terminator Genisys and Terminator: Dark Fate. Due to the lackluster support for these films, all kinds of canceled Terminator movies and TV shows were canned during development. While many of these projects are nothing to bat an eye at, one canceled Terminator sequel had the potential to not only be good, but to actually save the franchise.
Terminator Salvation 2 Would Have Brought Back Sarah Connor
Originally, Terminator Salvation was meant to kick off the Terminator franchise’s second trilogy, with Terminators 5 and 6 being worked on upon the fourth film’s release. The trilogy would have continued to build upon the story of Kyle Reese as well as the resistance’s conflict with Skynet, with the films most likely using Terminator Salvation as a launchpad to tell an even grander story. Although writing was already started on the sequels to Terminator Salvation, the film proved to be a commercial failure and critical flop upon its release in 2009, leading to the trilogy being canned and later replaced with Terminator Genisys.
The most interesting part of the second Terminator Salvation film, though, is that it would have brought back Sarah Connor. Despite being the main character of the first two Terminator films, Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor didn’t appear in Terminator Salvation, with her only being referenced through photographs and archival audio recordings. However, Terminator Salvation 2 would have seen Kyle Reese reunite with Sarah Connor, bringing her into the main story of the Terminator Salvation trilogy. It isn’t known if Linda Hamilton would have reprised her role as Sarah, but either way, Sarah Connor’s return would have been a huge deal.
Terminator Salvation’s Canceled Trilogy Would Have Saved The Franchise
It’s kind of sad that Terminator Salvation‘s sequel was canceled, as the trilogy could have saved the Terminator franchise. Sarah Connor’s return would have brought the franchise back to its roots, with it further exploring the relationship between Sarah and Kyle Reese that made the first film so popular. Terminator 3 and Terminator Salvation proved that the franchise just doesn’t work without Sarah, something that the filmmakers realized. Because of this, they made the smart choice to bring Sarah back in Terminator Salvation 2, something that could have saved the franchise if it was allowed to happen.
Kyle Reese going back in time to find Sarah Connor means that Terminator Salvation 2 may have simply repeated the story of the original film, and that’s a good thing. For a series so reliant on special effects, all Terminator Salvation 2 needed to do to work was to retell the original film’s narrative while updating the special effects. Doing this could have allowed the trilogy to stick to its roots while building up a grander story for the third film, but the trilogy was cut short before it even found its footing. While the original Terminator Salvation was definitely weak, the trilogy had the potential to save the franchise.
Terminator: Dark Fate Was Too Late To Bring Back Sarah Connor
Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor did eventually return in Terminator: Dark Fate, but it was far too late by then. The Terminator brand had already been severely weakened, with fans getting used to constant reboots, retcons, and disappointing sequels. While Linda Hamilton’s return was exciting, it seemed more like a gimmick than anything, meaning that it wasn’t enough to save the franchise.
Bringing Linda Hamilton back nearly a decade earlier in Terminator Salvation 2, however, could have brought the series some success. Sarah Connor would have returned before the damage was really done, with Terminator Salvation being the only truly bad film up until that point. However, the trilogy’s cancelation meant that Sarah Connor’s Terminator return had to wait until Terminator: Dark Fate, at which point the franchise was already past the point of no return.
