Arnold Schwarzenegger is teasing a comeback that action fans have wanted for years.
The 78-year-old star says he is in talks to return to some of his most famous roles, including Dutch from ‘Predator,’ John Matrix from ‘Commando,’ and Conan in a new ‘Conan the Barbarian’ sequel. And from the sound of it, this is not just wishful thinking. Schwarzenegger says real conversations are happening, scripts are in play, and studios are suddenly very interested in bringing back the muscle-era classics that made him a global movie star.
‘I’m still going to kick some ass, but it will be kind of a bit different,’ Schwarzenegger said while discussing the possible return of ‘Conan.’
Arnold Says Old Franchises Are Suddenly Back In Play
During a panel at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio, Schwarzenegger spoke about what he called a ‘resurrection of all those movies’ tied to his peak action run in the 1980s. That includes the ‘Predator’ franchise, which began with the 1987 original and introduced his tough-as-nails character Dutch to fans who still have not let him go.
Schwarzenegger said the latest creative team behind the franchise wants him back.
‘They did a remake of Predator, not a remake but an additional Predator, and that latest director, he’s been doing a great job with that,’ he said. ‘And so now he wants me to be in the next Predator.’
That director is Dan Trachtenberg, who helped breathe new life into the franchise with 2022’s ‘Prey’ and 2025’s ‘Predator: Badlands.’ Schwarzenegger added that he and Trachtenberg have already been talking, which got a big reaction from the crowd.
Credit: 1984 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and 20th Century Fox (IMDb)
‘Commando 2’ And ‘King Conan’ Are Also In The Mix
Schwarzenegger further said that the studio has also brought him a script for ‘Commando 2,’ a follow-up to the 1985 action hit where he played retired special forces soldier John Matrix. That film became one of the defining titles of his early action run and still has a loyal cult following.
Then came the biggest reveal for fantasy fans. Schwarzenegger said a new ‘Conan’ movie is also moving forward, with filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie attached to write and direct ‘King Conan.’ McQuarrie is known for directing several recent Tom Cruise blockbusters, including entries in the ‘Mission: Impossible’ series, so that name gives the project some serious weight.
Schwarzenegger also shared a rough idea of where the story would go. ‘Conan was 40 years king and he gets complacent,’ he said. ‘And now he gets forced out of the kingdom slowly and then there’s conflict, of course, and then he somehow comes back, and there’s all kinds of madness and violence and magic.’
He also made clear these would not be copy-paste versions of his younger roles. The characters, like Schwarzenegger himself, would be older and more weathered. Still dangerous, just in a different way. For fans of old-school action, that may be more than enough.
