Arnold Schwarzenegger names the worst Terminator movie:“It’s forbidden to do movies that suck!”
The action icon calls out Terminator Salvation as the franchise’s low point... because he wasn’t in it.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has finally weighed in on a long-running fan debate: which 'Terminator’ movie is the worst? During a recent appearance on 'Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen’, the 77-year-old actor didn’t hesitate. His pick? 2009’s 'Terminator Salvation’.
“I would say the worst was probably the No. 4, because that was done during the time I was governor and I was not in it,” Schwarzenegger said. “How do you do a Terminator movie without me being in the Terminator movie? It doesn’t make any sense”.
A Terminator without the Terminator?
‘Terminator Salvation’, directed by McG and starring Christian Bale and Sam Worthington, was the only mainline entry in the franchise that didn’t feature Schwarzenegger in a starring role. While a CGI version of his likeness briefly appears, the actor himself was absent due to his duties as California’s governor at the time.
Despite grossing over $370 million worldwide, the film was met with lukewarm reviews and failed to launch the planned trilogy. Schwarzenegger’s absence was widely felt—and now, officially acknowledged.
“I’m going to pass a law…”
In classic Arnie fashion, he joked about his reaction to the film’s production:
“I called immediately. I said, ‘I’m gonna pass a law that says it’s forbidden to do movies that suck!’”
While said in jest, the comment underscores how closely Schwarzenegger identifies with the franchise that helped define his career.
The legacy of Salvation
‘Terminator Salvation’ attempted to shift the series into a post-apocalyptic setting, focusing on John Connor’s rise in the Resistance. But without time travel, a central Terminator, or Schwarzenegger’s presence, it struggled to resonate with longtime fans.
Since then, Schwarzenegger has returned for 'Genisys’ and 'Dark Fate’, both of which received mixed receptions but at least brought the T-800 back to center stage.
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