Summary
Netflix’sTerminator Zerohas the chance to fix theTerminatorfranchise’s major John Connor mistake five years later. AlthoughTerminator 7’s statusremains unclear, theTerminatorfranchise will soon return withTerminator Zero, an eight-episode anime series from Skydance and studio Production I.G. AlthoughTerminator Zerois a standalone project, the series seems to be adhering to the lore established inTerminator 2: Judgment Day, including the date when Skynet took over the world.Terminator Zerowill be the franchise’s first TV show since 2009’sThe Sarah Connor Chronicles, which also took place in its own timeline.
Terminator Zerois one of the most excitingTerminatorprojectsin years, with a talented team and a successful anime studio behind the series. Netflix’sTerminatorshow could be a return to basics for the saga after all the critical and box office failures that the franchise has released sinceTerminator2. Perhapsthe best example of how disappointing theTerminatormovies have been is what happened to John Connorin the saga’s previous two films, particularlyTerminator: Dark Fate.
Terminator Zero Can Undo John Connor’s Death From Dark Fate
Terminator Zero takes place two years after Terminator 2
Terminator Zerowill be set in both 1997 and 2022, the former of which is the year when Judgment Day happened in the originalTerminatortimeline. This meansTerminator Zerowill partially take place two years after the events ofTerminator 2: Judgment Day, during which Sarah, John, and the T-800 helped delay Judgment Day. Therefore,Terminator Zerohas the chance to revisit Sarah and John Connor shortly after the events ofTerminator2, which is somethingDark Fatealso did. However,Dark Fateshockingly killed John Connorin the movie’s opening sequence.
Terminator Zero’s timeline means it can be the greatJudgment Daysequel that never happened, even if it does not focus on established characters like John and Sarah.
Terminator: Dark Fate’s risky decision of killing offT2John Connor in the opening minutes of the film did not pay off. Not only was John’s death very anticlimactic, but it also made it seem like the events ofTerminator2 had been pointless in this version of the timeline.It is unclear whetherTerminator Zerowill feature or even acknowledge characters from the movies, but if it does, it can give John Connor a much better post-T2future thanDark Fatedid. TheTerminatorfranchise is used to new timelines and retcons after all.
Terminator Zero’s Timeline Means It Can Be A True Judgment Day Sequel
Terminator Zero will take place closer to T2 than other sequels ever did
More than three decades afterTerminator2, it is safe to say everyTerminatormovie and TV show released since then takes place in its own timeline.Terminator 3: Rise of the Machinesis the closest thing to a properTerminator2 sequel the franchise ever had, but no other entries in the franchise ever acknowledged the film.Terminator: Salvationintroduced a future that was never revisited, whilebothGenisysandDark Fatetried to rewrite the saga’s timeline but failed to reignite the franchise.None of these projects lived up to the quality ofTerminator2.
InTerminator 2’s original timeline, Judgment Day happened on June 10, 2025.
Terminator Zero’s timelinemeans it can be the greatJudgment Daysequel that never happened, even if it does not focus on established characters like John and Sarah. The first officialTerminator Zerosynopsis mentions two original characters – an unmade soldier from the future sent to 1997, and a scientist named Malcolm Lee. Although the scientist and the soldier will beTerminator Zero’s main characters, the show could still feature cameos from majorTerminatorplayers.Netflix’sTerminator Zeroannouncement included plenty ofT2references, including the anime’s release date – August 04, 2025.
Should John Connor Be In Terminator Zero After Genisys & Dark Fate’s Failures?
Terminator Zero may be better off without John Connor
Terminator Zerocould easily feature or reference John Connor, either the adult version from the future or the teenage version of the character from 1997. However, after whatGenisysandDark Fatedid to John Connor, it may be better forTerminator Zeroto avoid him altogether. InGenisys, John was kidnapped offscreen by Skynet and turned into aTerminator– the T-3000. John becoming aTerminatordid not work, especially because what should have been a major twist was spoiled by the trailers.Dark Fatewould then confirm thatTerminatorno longer knew what to do with John Connor.
Netflix’s Terminator Animated Show Can Fix A 33-Year-Old Problem All Of The Judgment Day Sequels Struggled With
Netflix’s upcoming Terminator anime series can be unlike anything the live-action movies ever did and fix a problem the saga has faced since T2.
Even if John does not appear inTerminator Zero, Netflix’s upcomingTerminatoranime could still reference the character and his importance to the saga. The soldier sent to the past should be aware of John Connor’s role in the war against Skynet and might want to check his status in 1997. Every sequel toTerminator2 has so far ended in tragedy for either John or Sarah, so it would be interesting to have at least one future where things turned out okay for the saga’s heroes.
Terminator: Dark Fate
Cast
Terminator: Dark Fate is a direct sequel to Terminator 2: Judgement Day, ignoring the rest of the future films to re-canonize the franchise. Set years after Sarah Connor successfully stopped the impending Judgement Day, a new Terminator is sent to destroy the resistance before it forms. Now forced to team up with a former T-800 terminator model, Sarah will seek vengeance and protect Dani Ramos, the new target of Skynet.
