Warning: Spoilers for Terminator: Genisys are in play. If you’ve been able to avoid the big twist that’s been talked about for some time now, continue to do so and skip this article. Bookmark this spot, and come back after you’ve seen the movie.
Pretty early on, at least early in terms relative to how big of a spoiler it potentially would be for audiences, the revelation that John Connor was actually the villain of Terminator: Genisys was one that was met with a pretty snarktastic reaction. Fans clamored "too soon" no quicker than the rumor had actually dropped, and people were starting to wonder if Terminator: Genisys was going to be worth watching after its revelation. Believe it or not, no one could have taken the twist harder than the man who would be humanity’s savior, and now it’s greatest foe, Jason Clarke.
I was recently granted a moment to chat with the Australian actor, who told me he "stopped, put the script down, and [went] for a walk outside" after realizing the big twist. That wasn't the worst of his reaction though, and what follows is a line of thought that Terminator fans who disapproved of this twist of fate have mirrored themselves. In his own words, here’s Jason Clarke’s initial reaction to the script to Terminator: Genisys:
What the fuck is going on here? What did they send me? I don’t want to play the villain.
It’s not easy to accept a twist that big on the first go-round, which is probably why the folks behind the Terminator: Genisys marketing machine decided to advertise that twist right out of the gate. But Clarke took the time to go back to the script, and see things in a different light, just to be sure. Thankfully, the second time around showed Jason Clarke an improved outlook on the role. He was more welcoming of the change in his next read-through, and according to his remarks below, that’s where the real meat of the role lied:
For me it was, yeah, you go, ok, I’m the villain. I’m the protagonist. I’m the predator. I’m the chaser, but then when it resides, what I thought about it and read it again, John’s at the heart of the story and the problem of the machines, of technology, you know.
Despite his new role in the Terminator franchise, John Connor is, as Jason Clarke said, very much at the heart of the new trilogy. How and why, though, are to be explored when you see Terminator: Genisys on the big screen. While we won't spoil either just yet, we would urge you to keep your browser dialed here for more with Jason Clarke and the folks behind Terminator: Genisys.
