Why Terminator Genisys Recast The T-1000 With Lee Byung-hun

Terminator Genisys recast the franchise's iconic T-1000 with Lee Byung-hun, but why didn't Robert Patrick return for the role? Outside of Arnold Schwarzenegger's titular cyborg, the T-1000 is the most iconic character ofThe Terminator movie franchise. Robert Patrick played the role in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and went on to reprise the machine in comedic cameos in Last Action Hero and Wayne's World. The only issue with the T-1000 is that it was such a perfect villain that the series struggled to top it in the sequels that followed.

Despite all their various gimmicks, none of the other Terminator models that came after matched Patrick's T-1000 in terms of sheer menace. Terminator Genisys was intended as a soft reboot of the saga that would take it in new directions, and play with established lore. Outside of Arnold himself, none of the other actors from the series reprised their roles, with Emilia Clarke and Jai Courtney stepping into the parts of Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese respectively. Korean superstar Lee Byung-hun also replaced Patrick as the T-1000, who is the main threat during the sequel's first act.

Lee Byung-hun Played The T-1000 From An Alternate Timeline

It makes sense for an infiltration unit like the T-1000 to take on a new appearance

Lee Byung-hun as the T-1000 using his hands as spears in Terminator Genisys

One of the minor plot holes of Terminator 2 is that Patrick's T-1000 takes the same form for most of the movie. It would stand a better chance of catching the Connor family unawares if it took on different shapes, but it takes the form of a police officer for the majority of the runtime. When Reese encounters the machine in 1984, its mere presence already signals the timeline has been altered. It thus makes sense for the T-1000 to have a different appearance in this alternate timeline; in this case looking like the rather dashing Lee Byung-hun.

Every Terminator Movie & TV Series	Release Year	Rotten Tomatoes Rating
The Terminator	1984	100%
Terminator 2: Judgment Day	1991	91%
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines	2003	70%
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles	2008-2009	85%
Terminator: Salvation	2009	33%
Terminator: Genisys	2015	26%
Terminator: Dark Fate	2019	70%
Terminator Zero	2024	86%

Terminator Genisys was a box-office success, grossing $440 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo). The sequel also received roundly terrible reviews though, receiving a measly 26% on Rotten Tomatoes and commonly being regarded as the franchise's nadir. Despite this, Lee Byung-hun's brief appearance as the T-1000 was well-received. Lee gives the assassin an intensity that makes him feel like far more of a threat than Genisys' other villains.

...Lee didn't get much time to make the T-1000 his own, but given what a mess Terminator Genisys was, he deserves credit for doing a lot with a little.

Early trailers for Terminator Genisys even tried to sell Lee's T-1000 as the main threat, until later previews spoiled the reveal that Jason Clarke's John Connor had been transformed into the latest villain. Sadly, Lee didn't get much time to make the character his own, but given what a mess Genisys was, he deserves credit for doing a lot with a little.

Why Robert Patrick Didn’t Return As The T-1000 In Terminator Genisys

Robert Patrick had little interest in a Terminator return

Terminator Genisys attempted a clean slate with the series, right down to recasting most of the major roles. Of course, when the movie was poorly received, the next entry Dark Fate brought back as many original stars as it could, including Arnold, Linda Hamilton, and (very briefly) Edward Furlong. Patrick didn't return for either, and in the case of Genisys, he revealed to HuffPost that he hadn't been approached about playing the T-1000 again. That's likely due to the fact every other major part aside from the T-1000 had been recast.

Robert Patrick is the only actor who has been killed by Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminator 2), Sylvester Stallone (Copland) and Bruce Willis (Die Hard 2: Die Harder).

Had Patrick been brought back, he would also have needed to be digitally de-aged, adding more to the sequel's budget. In that same interview, Patrick sounded reluctant to play the T-1000 again, due to his age and feeling it was best to leave such an iconic role alone. He's probably right, and while it would have been great to see him return one last time, Patrick didn't miss much by passing on Terminator Genisys.

What Happened To Lee Byung-hun’s T-1000 In Terminator Genisys

The T-1000 got terminated - again

The T-1000 in liquid form in Terminator Genisys

Genisys reveals that a T-800 was sent back to protect young Sarah during the 1970s - and essentially acted as her father in the years that followed. They were also on the run from a T-1000 unit for a solid decade, so by the time Reese met up with Sarah and "Pops" in 1984, they already had a trap laid out for the liquid metal killer. After luring the machine to a warehouse, the gang fights the T-1000 for a while before melting it down to nothing with hydrochloric acid. With the threat neutralized, they then hopped through time to 2017.

Again, it's a shame Lee Byung-hun wasn't given more time with his take on the T-1000. The part amounts to an extended cameo, but he still manages to outshine the rest of the cast. It also feels like the part Terminator Genisys glosses over - where Sarah and the T-800 spend a decade evading the T-1000 - feels like a way more interesting story than the final movie focused on.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes, HuffPost