While the Terminator movies are ostensibly about humanity’s efforts to avoid an apocalyptic war with sentient androids, the robots are often the element that fans are most eager to see in each iteration of the franchise.
That continues to hold true for the upcoming Terminator: Dark Fate, which uses a pair of new posters to focus on the film’s updated version of the Terminator android assassin, as well as the franchise’s most iconic human character.
The posters were spotted by fan site TheTerminatorFans, with one featuring the deadly Dark Fate android — officially dubbed “REV-9” — and the other putting the spotlight on original franchise star Linda Hamilton, who returns as Sarah Connor.
The REV-9 Terminator will be portrayed by Agents of SHIELD actor Gabriel Luna, and made its debut in the first trailer for the film. The movie preview seems to suggest that this new, updated version of the assassin will be able to separate itself from its metal endoskeleton — effectively turning it into two powerful killers.
Set after the events of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the sci-fi sequel Terminator: Dark Fate brings back Hamilton and franchise veteran Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as franchise creator James Cameron, who provided the story for the film and serves as one of its producers. Dark Fate is the first installment since Terminator 2 to have Cameron actively involved with its production.
Along with the return of Cameron and the aforementioned actors, Dark Fate also introduces Mackenzie Davis, Natalia Reyes, and Diego Boneta in co-starring roles alongside Luna. Schwarzenegger reprises his role as the T-800 model.
According to Cameron and the film’s creative team, the three films originally set after Judgment Day, which include 2003’s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, 2009’s Terminator Salvation, and the most recent film, 2015’s Terminator Genisys, all exist in an “alternate timeline” of the franchise continuity. The events of Dark Fate will now be the accepted canon for the franchise, essentially rebooting the series back to Cameron’s last film (Judgment Day) and allowing the series’ creator to tell a new story from that point forward.
Terminator: Dark Fate is scheduled to hit theaters November 1.
