10 More Movies That Almost Had Much Better Endings

Like too many movie franchises, Terminator has steadily declined over the years and has ultimately outstayed its welcome. Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines, Terminator Salvation, and Terminator Genisys underwhelmed greatly, unable to come anywhere close to Terminator 2: Judgment Day and 1984's The Terminator.

The ending to the first Terminator sequel however, was ultimately undone by both Terminator 3 and Terminator: Dark Fate, rendering the T-800's noble and emotional sacrifice redundant. After killing the T-1000 and saving John Connor's (Edward Furlong) life, Arnie's character sacrificed himself to ensure that Skynet was never created, and Judgment Day never happened. Though this wasn't necessarily undone by Terminator 2's theatrical ending, things were left open enough that it could be undone years down the line.

James Cameron's original ending would have been very different, and much more final, with a glimpse into the future confirming that Judgment Day definitively did not happen on 29 August 1997. After saving the future and ensuring the evil Skynet corporation would not incite the nuclear holocaust as prophesised, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) would have enjoyed what seemed to be a peaceful life with her son John, and his daughter.

Instead, the precedent created by Skynet always being able to send someone back in time gives the feeling that no matter what happens in each movie, the cycle will just keep repeating itself. Perhaps James Cameron would have been better closing off the narrative at the end of Judgment Day, and preserving an exemplary two-movie Terminator franchise.