10 Classic Arnold Schwarzenegger Characters That Need To Return

True Lies Director: James Cameron Release Date: 1994-07-15 Cast: Tom Arnold, Eliza Dushku, Bill Paxton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, jamie lee curtis Writers: James Cameron Rating: R Runtime: 141 minutes Main Genre: Action Genres: Comedy, Thriller, Action Summary: A fearless, globe-trotting, terrorist-battling secret agent has his life turned upside down when he discovers his wife might be having an affair with a used-car salesman while terrorists smuggle nuclear war heads into the United States. Cinematographer: Russell Carpenter Producer: James Cameron, Stephanie Austin Production Company: Twentieth Century Fox, Lightstorm Entertainment Budget: $115 million Distributor : Twentieth Century Fox Assistant Director : J. Michael Haynie Terminator Director: James Cameron Release Date: 1984-10-26 Cast: Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton, Lance Henriksen, Paul Winfield, Arnold Schwarzenegger Writers: James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd Rating: R Runtime: 107 minutes Genres: Sci-Fi, Action Summary: In 1984, a human soldier is tasked to stop an indestructible cyborg killing machine, both sent from 2029, from executing a young woman, whose unborn son is the key to humanity’s future salvation. Franchise: The Terminator Sequel: Terminator: Salvation, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator: Dark Fate, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Terminator: Genisys Cinematographer: Adam Greenberg Producer: Gale Anne Hurd Production Company: Cinema ’84/Greenberg Brothers Partnership, Euro Film Funding, Pacific Western, Hemdale Budget: $6.4 million Distributor : Orion Pictures Assistant Director : Betsy Magruder Commando Director: Mark L, Lester Release Date: 1985-10-04 Cast: Dan Hedaya, Alyssa Milano, Rae Dawn Chong, Vernon Wells, Arnold Schwarzenegger Writers: Steven E. de Souza Rating: R Runtime: 90 minutes Main Genre: Action Genres: Adventure, Thriller, Action Summary: A retired Special Forces colonel tries to save his daughter, who was abducted by his former subordinate. Cinematographer: Matthew F. Leonetti Producer: Joel Silver Production Company: SLM Production Group, Twentieth Century Fox, Silver Pictures Sfx Supervisor: Henry Millar Budget: $10 million Distributor : Twentieth Century Fox Assistant Director : Beau Marks
Despite the passing of director Ivan Reitman, the film Triplets, a sequel to the Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito film Twins, is still currently being discussed. No matter where that project ends up going, it would be amazing to see Schwarzenegger revisit a classic character from his rather illustrious repertoire.

From winning Mr. Olympia aiding him in conquering Hollywood to his return to film after his stint as Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger has proven to be a draw for audiences. That said, Schwarzenegger has played a number of characters who need to make a return.

Mr. Freeze (Batman & Robin)

Batman & Robin was a disaster from almost every angle, but the idea of Arnold Schwarzenegger playing Mr. Freeze wasn’t the worst idea that went down behind the scenes. Whenever a scene takes place where the villain isn’t delivering another inane ice pun, glimpses of what could have been with the character are presented.

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If Schwarzenegger had been given a better script, a commodity given to the character before in Batman: The Animated Series, he could’ve been given a chance to flex his acting muscles. Arnold isn’t the spring chicken he once was and Warner Bros. may want to go in a different direction with future depictions of the character, but he could still play a solid Mr. Freeze if given the chance and the right script.

The T-800 (The Terminator)

Out of all the characters that Schwarzenegger has played, The Terminator is the one he’s chosen to return to. Despite the James Cameron movies being highly rewatchable and beloved, the quality of the Terminator movies has arguably diminished drastically after the future Avatar director left the helm. However, there is one way the series can redeem itself whilst returning to the franchise’s roots.

The original Terminator movie depicted Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 model Terminator as a remorseless killer robot rather than the hero he’d later become. Should Arnold want to play the role again, it would be interesting to see him play the T-800 as a terrifying villain, once again.

Harry Tasker (True Lies)

True Lies is still a great spy-comedy film almost 30 years later, with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis’s chemistry and comedic chops complimented by a tight script and an amazing supporting cast. In the film, Schwarzenegger plays Harry Tasker, a spy who battles terrorists whilst his wife Helen and daughter Dana think he’s a dull computer salesman.

Naturally, Harry’s lies ultimately are exposed, leading to Helen and later Dana being thrust into an epic James Bond-esque adventure involving terrorists. With both Schwarzenegger and Curtis kicking butt once again on the big screen, it’s high time they were paired together once more to go on another adventure.

Ivan Danko (Red Heat)

Red Heat is an oddity in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s back catalog. The movie that sees him play a Russian captain named Ivan Danko who is forced to team with a Chicago policeman played by Jim Belushi to stop a dangerous drug baron was hated by critics at the time and is seen as divisive among die-hard Schwarzenegger fanatics.

That said, a return to the world of Red Heat would be an interesting one for Schwarzenegger to make right now, especially with current events of the world. It would be interesting to see where Ivan Danko is in a post-Soviet Union world, and especially how his friendship with Belushi’s Detective Ridzik has evolved.

Jack Slater (Last Action Hero)

Though it was seen as a failure at the time, Last Action Hero has gained a fierce cult following built on the film’s humorous mocking of classic action movie tropes, with Schwarzenegger giving a solid performance as stereotypical macho man, Jack Slater. The idea of someone entering a movie world was pretty novel at the time and is still a premise that could be explored today.

Perhaps a new Last Action Hero movie could address Hollywood’s current obsession with cinematic universes or the slow decline of the typical action hero. It would also be fun to see how ridiculous the Jack Slater series had gotten after the fourth entry which was featured in the movie.

Hercules (Hercules In New York)

As soon as Hollywood producers laid eyes on Schwarzenegger, comparisons were made to the Greek gods of old, so it wasn’t a surprise when he was swiftly cast as Hercules. Hercules in New York isn’t a great film by any means, but it is fairly enjoyable, especially the cut where Schwarzenegger isn’t dubbed.

RELATED: 10 Greek Gods That Are Constantly Misrepresented In Media

The idea of Schwarzenegger playing Hercules again, now that he’s nearly 80 years old, may seem ridiculous, but it isn’t like Hercules in New York was a grounded film to begin with. Besides, a sort of “Old Man Hercules” movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger is a money-making concept.

John Matrix (Commando)

Outside of the misadventures of John Rambo, Commando was seen by many as the kickoff of many of the ’80s action movie tropes and is easily one of Schwarzenegger’s best movies. Critic Roger Ebert perfectly summed up the movie’s plot and tone in his review of the film, jokingly saying “Schwarzenegger-tough guy, bad guys kidnap daughter, he blow ’em up real good!”

Commando is a live-action comic book, over the top and stuffed to the gills with cheesy one-liners, often delivered by Schwarzenegger’s John Matrix, tons of violence, and even more testosterone. These days, action movies tend to take themselves way too seriously, so it’d be a breath of fresh air to see John Matrix strap loads of guns to himself and jump headfirst into another goofy adventure.

Detective John Kimble (Kindergarten Cop)

Arnold Schwarzenegger has strong comedy chops, with Kindergarten Cop being a strong example. Following LAPD detective John Kimble as he goes undercover as a teacher at a kindergarten in Astoria to investigate a drug dealer’s activities, Kindergarten Cop delivers the action but is also full of heart.

The movie had a direct-to-DVD sequel in Kindergarten Cop 2, which replaced Schwarzenegger’s John Kimble with Dolph Lundgren’s Zach Reed, but that movie didn’t have the charm of the original. Should a good writer and director provide a solid pitch, it’s likely Schwarzenegger could be lured back and fans would be quick to rejoice.

Dutch Schaefer (Predator)

The recently released Prey has reinvigorated the Predator franchise, but no matter how far the franchise fell before the 2022 film, the original still stands as one of the greatest action-horror films of all time. Featuring an uber-macho pack of soldiers being picked off one-by-one by a terrifying alien, Arnold Schwarzenegger stands tall as Dutch Schaefer, the leader of the pack who naturally survives.

RELATED: The 10 Best Characters In The Predator Franchise Ranked

This raises the question, what happened to Dutch after the events of the film? Schwarzenegger has returned as the character in Predator: Hunting Grounds, but it would be amazing to see him make his cinematic return, perhaps showcasing how Dutch has come to grips with his fight with The Predator and his life after the original movie.

Conan (Conan The Barbarian)

Low fantasy is all the rage right now, with shows like Game of Thrones and The Witcher topping the charts, so if Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Conan made his return, he would fit right in with the likes of Geralt and the denizens of Westeros. While the sequel felt more fantastical, Conan The Barbarian feels more grounded, with its high quality aided by John Milius’ direction and Schwarzenegger’s underappreciated performance.

Conan’s story feels like it was meant to be an epic trilogy, so knowing that the franchise ended with the disappointing Conan The Destroyer and a lackluster remake stings a bit. Now that Schwarzenegger is a bit older, now would be a good time to see Conan wear the jeweled crown of Aquilonia upon a troubled brow.

NEXT: Every ’80s Arnold Schwarzenegger Movie (Ranked By Metacritic)