Robert Downey Jr. takes on the role of a battle-damaged Arnold Schwarzenegger as the T-800, a robot sent from the future to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), the mother of a crucial resistance leader. Schwarzenegger's T-800 returned in one form or another in all five sequels, but later movies also introduced other Terminator models, including those played by Robert Patrick, Jason Clarke, and Gabriel Luna.

A new video from @helbe_artist on Instagram now imagines Downey Jr., who is best known for playing Tony Stark, becoming his own new Terminator model. The video, which features the Avengers theme playing in the background, features the artist using a series of colored markers to bring Downey Jr.'s Terminator to life. The end result sees one half of Downey Jr.'s metallic skull exposed, mirroring a look that Schwarzenegger's T-800 had in several films after taking damage. Check out the impressive video below:

What A Robert Downey Jr. Terminator Would Mean For The Franchise

Where The Franchise Is Going Next After Dark Fate

After Terminator: Dark Fate disappointed at the box office in 2019, the future of the franchise has been uncertain. Cameron recently revealed that he's working on a script for Terminator 7 and that it will heavily explore the dangers of AI. Beyond that, very little is known about the next movie, but the director did make clear that audiences shouldn't expect to see the return of Schwarzenegger, Hamilton, or much of the franchise's original iconography.

It seems very unlikely that Downey Jr. will feature in a future Terminator movie, especially as one of the titular killing machines. The actor, after all, is known for his wit, charm, and humor, and these are qualities that Terminators don't generally have. If Downey Jr. were to star in the seventh film, however, that would certainly raise the profile of that film significantly, as he is now one of the most in-demand and recognizable stars in Hollywood due to his work in the MCU.

The next Terminator movie doesn't currently have a release date and is seemingly still in the script stage.

Our Take On A Robert Downey Jr. Terminator

Why It Could Work (But Will Probably Never Happen)

On the surface, Downey Jr. seems like an odd choice for an unstoppable Terminator killing machine, but this might actually be an interesting against-type casting. If the next movie truly is going to push the franchise into an entirely new direction without relying on the stories and iconography of past movies, a seemingly charming Terminator with evil intentions underneath could be an exciting way to subvert audience expectations.

That being said, casting Downey Jr. in anything at this point comes with a major price tag. A Avengers: Secret Wars claims that he is being paid north of $80 million for the two. After Terminator: Dark Fate's failure, the next installment could be made at a lower price point, and putting a significant portion of the budget toward one star might not be a wise move. Still, the art video above presents an interesting "what if" for the Terminator franchise.

Source: @helbe_artist