Everything old is new again, and now it’s being made Latino. We’ve seen both Charmed and Magnum P.I. put in Latino actors in roles originally held by white people. And Hollywood is still chugging along on giving us a version of Scarface that actually has a Latino in the lead and is now being written by one. Well, move over because sci-fi is getting a Latino infusion with the announcement that James Cameron’s new incarnation of the Terminator is on with Mexican-American actor Gabriel Luna (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) set to star in the role originally immortalized by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The Terminator is set to be the continuation of the popular sci-fi/action film originally released in 1984 that’s seen several sequels since. Also revealed as starring opposite Luna in unspecified roles are Colombian actress Natalia Reyes and Mexican actor Diego Boneta. The trio will join original series staples Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton in a film to be directed by Tim Miller.
Right now so much is up in the air on the story that it’s impossible to truly say whether this sounds good or not (sorry, the Terminator franchise is near and dear to my heart). Is this a spin-off? A sequel, and if so which films are being considered canon? Fan sites report that it’s considered a sequel to Terminator 2 and will ignore other versions but regardless, I’m incredibly happy to hear about the push towards Latino representation. Science-fiction is still a highly white-centric genre in cinema and though we don’t know anything about where this franchise could go it’s already being set up as something new and adventurous. We’ve had a male Terminator and a female Terminator, so it’s about high time we got a Terminator of color!
The untitled Terminator movie is set to be released in theaters on November 22, 2019.