The release of a brand-spanking new trailer for Terminator: Genisys earlier today completely rejigged what we can expect from the blockbuster, especially when it comes to former franchise hero John Connor. That’s because the new version of the character isn’t quite as heroic as we all probably expected him to be - and now Jason Clarke has confirmed that he’s part machine, part human, and that this movie’s version of the resistance fighter is free in all the ways that previous incarnations have not been.
Jason Clarke, who will be portraying John Connor in Terminator: Genisys, sat down to speak with Entertainment Weekly recently to provide further insight about his character, and in the process pretty much confirmed that he will defy expectations. Basically, the guy is a total wild card. The Australian actor explained,
He’s full of possibilities now that he’s not fully machine, not fully human. He’s something else. He’s still evolving. There are still surprises to what exactly John is ultimately. Is he controllable or not? He’s the last throw of the dice by Skynet and he is something that is a lot more than we’ve ever seen by nobody really knows just where it can go.
Jason Clarke also detailed some of the rules that he devised and enforced for portraying John Connor as a machine, explaining that when he gets shot he still feels the pain. He made sure to note that throughout his performance in Terminator Genisys Connor is still learning the benefits of being part machine, and that he is "still experiencing it, still harnessing it, and learning how to dictate it." Meanwhile, Clarke admitted that his version is a much freer John, since he isn’t weighed down with the burden of being the saviour of mankind.
Those of you who haven’t yet viewed the latest trailer for Terminator: Genisys can correct that wrong by taking a gander at it below, as well as gain a better understanding of exactly what it is that Jason Clarke is talking about.
I’m going to put it out there and say that the latest trailer for Terminator: Genisys has rejuvenated my interest in the blockbuster. Yes, the revelation that John Connor is half-man half-machine probably could have been reserved for when it hit cinemas, and there’s a good chance that the film’s most exhilarating action set-pieces have already been showcased, but the new dynamic that this will bring to the blockbuster should help to set it apart from both its illustrious predecessors (The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day) and the less than impressive instalments to the franchise (Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines and Terminator: Salvation).
I’m still not sure which camp Terminator: Genisys will ultimately fall into, and with its July 1, 2015 release date only a few weeks away we don’t have long to wait until I find out.
