There’s a lot we knew in advance about Terminator Genisys – too much, you might say, if you saw some of the trailers – but there’s one card that the film always kept close to its chest.
We knew that Arnie was back as the titular Terminator, and that Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke was taking on the equally iconic role of Sarah Connor.
> Buy Terminator Genisys on DVD on Amazon.
But just who or what exactly would former Doctor Who star Matt Smith be playing?
SPOILERS FROM HERE ON
Having seen the film, we now know the reason for secrecy – Matt Smith is Skynet!
And, it’s worth noting that for the purposes of this film – and presumably his film career going forward – the artist formerly known as the Doctor will be going by the moniker Matthew Smith.
Acting as a human embodiment of the AI system that brings about the end of the world, Smith’s character plays a small but pivotal role in the film. In fact, it’s his character whose actions set the entire plot in motion, even before we actually know who he is.
Smith’s role as Skynet makes good use of his distinctive features and the otherworldly demeanour that served him so well in Doctor Who again makes him stand out here. While he doesn’t have a huge amount of screen time in the film, his character does make an impact, and Smith’s particular skills are put to good use. In fact, Smith is probably the most well-cast character in the entire film – Arnie excluded, of course!
And Smith isn’t the first man to portray Skynet… in the criminally short-lived TV series The Sarah Connor Chronicles (which, if we’ve got this right, took place in yet another different splinter timeline), character actor Garret Dillahunt portrayed a very early version of Skynet, then known as John Henry. Never mind the Terminator – Skynet is the role for actors to get their teeth into these days.
And best of all, if Genisys is a hit, then there’s ample opportunity for Smith to return and continue appearing in future instalments of the franchise. That boy just can’t stay away from time-travel, can he?
With the frankly nonsensical – some might say, ‘wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey’ – plot of Genisys allowing for time-travel, parallel timelines, alternate futures and alternate pasts and heaven knows what else (seriously, was anyone was keeping up?), Smith’s Skynet is a figure that can be endlessly reused.
While Skynet is defeated in Genisys (well, until the mid-titles teaser anyway), it’s entirely conceivable that some more timey-wimey shenanigans could see Smith’s character from 2029 – the one that killed/transformed John Connor – traveling back to enact revenge on Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese, trying to get events that would lead to his own existence back on track.
There’s also the intriguing thought that the human visage that Skynet has chosen for its physical embodiment must have originated somewhere… Just who was the original ‘Alex’, as Smith is credit in the film, before he became the machine? There’s surely plenty to explore there!
Now, if all that sounds a tad confusing, don’t worry. It is. We’re all confused. But rest assured that, whether he’s the walking talking embodiment of Skynet, a face on a screen, a hologram, or even just a disembodied voice, it’s reasonable to assume that whatever form Skynet takes going forward – in whatever timeline – it will be that of Matthew Smith in some capacity.
And that can only be a good thing!
> Buy Terminator Genisys on DVD on Amazon.
How do you think Matt Smith will feature in upcoming Terminator movies? Let us know below…