Commando is still one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s most iconic films. It was one of Arnold’s earliest action films that we saw starring outside of The Terminator, and this film even predates his earlier blockbusters like Predator. More than thirty years have passed and this film is still considered one of Schwarzenegger’s most notable works. Here are 10 facts about his interesting history that you may not have known.

They Used The Beverly Hills Mansion
This is the Mansion that the Matrix raids at the very end of the film, which is the same mansion that Axel Foley raids in Beverly Hills Cop. It’s not as prominent as the mall, but there are shots in the movies where the backyards are clearly aligned with each other, and the location of the mansion is not that far from the mall itself. Let’s hope Beverly Hills Cops is connected to Val Verde in some way.

There Are More Stuntmen Than Actors
In the movie Commando, the Matrix killed 81 separate henchmen throughout the movie, and some of these murders were secondary to stray bullets and explosives. None of the action scenes would have been so memorable if all the same seven actors had fallen and jumped in different parts of the scenery. this number is not huge, in the film their number is 54, but only 15 stuntmen are involved.

They Used The Same Mall From Terminator 2
You’re right if you think you’ve spotted a familiar place when re-watching Commando. It’s the same mall where we see young John Conner first meeting Arnold’s T-800, and the same one where ” Matrix “Commando” picks up Sally in a phone booth. The Northridge Fashion Center served as a filming location for two of Arnold’s blockbusters due to the teen culture with many teenagers flocking to the malls in the 80s. The mall has been refurbished over the years and lacks many of the iconic landmarks from the movies.

Arnold Wasn’t The First Choice
Imagine how this role would be played by Gene Simmons, a former SWAT soldier who tries to live a peaceful life with his daughter, then his daughter is kidnapped, and he will fight. Definitely not what we expected from Simmons, especially since Kiss hadn’t even reached its peak yet in the 80’s. In the 80s, Nolte had many serious roles, but, like Simmons, he did not really want to participate in the project. After Simmons showed no interest in the role, it went to Nick Nolte, who I think is a much better choice. But yes, it was cool that Arnold was able to land instead, otherwise I think there would not be the Commando we now know

It’s Responsible For The Die Hard Franchise
Commando writer Steven de Souza rewrote the script, changing the main characters and adjusting some key plot elements. Does the Commando 2 scenario sound too familiar to you? Arnold was right for giving it up. In the first place, although he may not have been too happy later on. The end result was the first entry in the Die Hard franchise with Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman.

Arnie Got Proficient In Martial Arts
Arnold’s massive build meant that finding a realistic stunt double was almost impossible. Paired with a famous choreographer named Michael Mandrell, Arnold quickly began to do everything according to the template. So much so that Mindrell believes that Arnold received training equivalent to a second-degree black belt. This pretty much forced the actor to do his own stunts and spend time perfecting all the moves. The director even hired an army consultant to help Arnold with the techniques taught to the special forces.

It Shares A Universe With Many Franchises
Commando shares the universe with two other huge franchises: Predator and Die Hard. Each movie alludes to a specific fictional location: Steven de Souza explains that the general from Die Hard 2 is from that country, and it’s the Predator’s hunting grounds. One can only ask if the Matrix joined another special forces unit in Val Verde under the name Dutch before confronting the Predator and they have some kind of connection? Does McClane know about the Predator? Or they just reused the same fictional location for creative convenience.

Rambo Was The Box Office Rival
Arnold often made fun of Stallone’s career and showed interest in bad roles, which he knew Stallone would jump into. For example, Antz, when Arnold was asked to play the part of Weaver, his stakes were too high. And when Stallone found out about this, he offered to do it all just for free. Stallone had his own success in films like Rocky and Rambo, but Schwarzenegger still considered him a formidable action movie contender during his first action movie debut.

Matrix’s Kill Count Is 102
The Matrix certainly made his mark on firearms, and his years of experience quickly made short work of 102 individual henchmen throughout the film. The last kill is one of the most memorable in The Matrix, as Arnold received a real stabbing scar from Vince. This number can hardly be compared to the Bond franchise, where Pierce Brosnan is the deadliest of them all, averaging 33 kills per film.

Arnold Didn’t Care For The Proposed Sequel’s Script
Arnold didn’t take on a script he didn’t believe in, and that doubled for the sequels. He even used his pickiness to get Stallone to do bad movies during their 80s rivalry. His dislike of the script stemmed from a subplot in which Jenny and Cindy were trapped inside a corporate building and had to be extracted by The Matrix. To this day, Arnold shows little interest in reprising his role.