Robert Downey Jr. takes on the role of a battle-damaged man Terminator
in a stunning art video. Released in 1984, James Cameron The Terminator features Arnold Schwarzenegger as the T-800, a robot sent from the future to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), the mother of a crucial resistance leader. Schwarzenegger's T-800 returned in one form or another in all five sequels, but later films also introduced other Terminator models, including those played by Robert Patrick, Jason Clarke, and Gabriel Luna.
A new video from @helbe_artist on Instagram now imagines Downey Jr., best known for playing Tony Stark, becoming his new Terminator role model. The video, which presents the Avengers theme playing in the background, shows the artist using a series of colorful markers to bring Downey Jr.'s Terminator to life. The end result shows half of Downey Jr.'s metallic skull exposed, mirroring the appearance that Schwarzenegger's T-800 had in several films after suffering damage. Check out the impressive video below:
What a Robert Downey Jr. Terminator would mean for the franchise
Where the franchise will go after Dark Fate
After Terminator: Dark Fate Disappointed with the box office in 2019, the future of the franchise has been uncertain. Cameron recently revealed that he is working on a script for Terminator 7 and which will intensively explore the dangers of AI. Beyond that, very little is known about the upcoming film, but the director made it clear that audiences shouldn't expect to see the return of Schwarzenegger, Hamilton or much of the franchise's original iconography.
It seems very unlikely that Downey Jr. will appear in the future Terminator film, especially as one of the titular killing machines. After all, the actor is known for his intelligence, charm, and humor, and these are qualities that Terminators generally don't possess. If Downey Jr. were to star in the seventh film, however, it would certainly raise the film's profile significantly, as he is now one of the most sought after and recognized stars in Hollywood due to his work in the MCU.
Our take on Robert Downey Jr.'s Terminator
Why It Could Work (But Probably Never Will)
On the surface, Downey Jr. seems like an odd choice for an unstoppable Terminator killing machine, but this could actually be interesting casting against type. If the next film truly takes the franchise in an entirely new direction without relying on the stories and iconography of the previous films, a seemingly charming Terminator with evil intentions could be a thrilling way to subvert audience expectations.
That being said, casting Downey Jr. in anything at this point comes at a high price. ONE Variety report following the announcement that Downey Jr. will play Doctor Doom in Avengers: Judgment Day and Avengers: Secret Wars claims he's being paid more than $80 million for both. After Terminator: Dark Fatefailure, the next installment could be made at a lower priceand allocating a significant portion of the budget to a star may not be the right decision. Still, the artistic video above presents an interesting "what if" for the Terminator franchise.
Source: @helbe_artist