10 Upcoming Movie Sequels That Aren't What You Think

1. Terminator: Dark Fate ISN'T Keeping Its Legends Around

The upcoming sixth Terminator is desperately trying to sell itself as a major return to form for the franchise, bigging up the presence of James Cameron as a thoroughly involved producer, not to mention the long-awaited return of Linda Hamilton in the role of Sarah Connor.

And though there's a fair chance that Dark Fate will turn out less of an insulting mess than either Salvation or Genisys, it's also tough to escape the feeling that the series' famously iffy marketing isn't quite playing straight with fans.

First and foremost, Cameron's endorsement doesn't really mean a whole lot these days.

He actively campaigned for Genisys pre-release only to later claim he did so merely as a favour to Arnold Schwarzenegger. Furthermore, despite being intimately involved in the production of Alita: Battle Angel, that film still turned out a muddled mess.

But the film's biggest secret likely lies in the presence of its two legendary stars.

First and foremost, Arnie is almost definitely in this thing for nothing more than an extended cameo, and while Hamilton's role seems far meatier, she's likely being set up to get the Han Solo treatment.

Sarah Connor will likely die at the end of the movie and pass the torch to a new human resistance leader, Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes), in the desperate hope of keeping the series alive after Arnie and Hamilton age out.

It'd certainly be a fitting incentive to make Hamilton return given her unsatisfying off-screen death in Terminator 3, but anyone hoping that Dark Fate will kick-start a new trilogy of movies starring Schwarzenegger and Hamilton should prepare themselves for a thoroughly deflating outcome.