10 Movie Fan Theories EVERYONE Believed
4. Arnold Schwarzenegger Is Playing The Human Basis For The T-800 - Terminator: Dark Fate
The Theory
Arnold Schwarzenegger's character in the sixth Terminator movie wouldn't be another variation on the classic T-800, but in fact the human inspiration behind the machine's look.
Why Everyone Believed It
For starters, James Cameron basically implied as much back in 2017 when the then-untitled Dark Fate was in its early stages.
When you factor in that the precise nature of Schwarzenegger's role was kept secret in the movie's marketing, it seemed to suggest something special was up with his gruff-looking character, and nothing made more sense than him being the human counterpart to the T-800 exterior.
Plus, considering that Terminator 3's famous "Sgt. Candy" deleted scene already hinted at such a premise, it wasn't coming totally out of nowhere. It just made sense.
What Actually Happened
Sadly the truth was a lot more ordinary and uninspired than this, with Arnie in fact playing one of the T-800s originally sent back in time to murder John Connor (Edward Furlong).
Upon doing so, and with Skynet still vanquished from the end of Terminator 2, the machine was left to walk the Earth and eventually became self-aware, developing a conscience.
It then integrated into society as "Carl," who eventually helps Sarah (Linda Hamilton) and the new band of heroes save the world yet again.
Arnie absolutely brought his A-game regardless, but it's a shame that the series missed a golden opportunity to have him play an actual human being for once.
With Dark Fate's catastrophic box office performance, it doesn't seem likely that he'll get the chance anytime soon, sadly.