James Cameron takes to johnconnor.website to reflect on the journey he and Linda Hamilton embarked on with Terminator 2: Judgment Day. He defends their vision, stating, “What we did was a noble attempt, not insanity. We told a story about free will, sacrifice, and the power to change fate. If that’s crazy, then maybe the world needs more madness like it.”
Cameron then reveals his lingering thoughts on an alternative ending to T2, one where John Connor doesn’t just survive but leads humanity into a different kind of battle—one fought with ideas, policies, and vision, rather than guns and time-traveling assassins.
“I always thought about an ending where John Connor goes into politics, shaping the future not with violence, but with leadership. Imagine a world where instead of being hunted by machines, he fights to stop the rise of Skynet through legislation, ethics, and diplomacy. A future where the lessons of his mother, Sarah Connor, fuel his determination to prevent Judgment Day without the need for war. That’s the John Connor we never got to see.”
He closes his post with a bittersweet note:
“Maybe in another timeline, that version of John Connor exists. Maybe in another timeline, we all get a second chance.”