The Terminator franchise has become one of the most popular of all time. The movies bring some fantastic action and deserve all the credit they get, but it is the iconic character and the memorable one-liners that have helped the movie remain so relevant today.
Despite the fact that the original movie was released back in 1984, new generations are still taking in this classic when they grow up. One of the main reasons the film has stayed so relevant is because of how many pop culture references it has.
The movie is constantly brought up within television and other movies and various other forms of pop culture. Because of that, the franchise has been able to live on consistently, and within this list, we will show 10 of the best ways The Terminator has been referenced.
Stranger Things
Stranger Things is a love letter to all things ’80s so it seems almost inevitable that there was going to be a Terminator reference squeezed in somewhere along the way. It might have taken until season three, but it finally happened and not in a very subtle way.
In the third season a Russian hitman popped up, and he was a glaringly obvious nod to Arnold Schwarzenegger. From the hair, the clothing, the speech, and the fact that he was totally unstoppable, he just screamed Terminator. At one point, Mayor Larry Kline even says, “It’s Arnold Schwarzenegger,” showing just how clear it was.
Family Guy
The popular cartoon television show has referenced tons of movies and other shows throughout its run on television, and The Terminator is yet another one of those. The movie has been showcased in the show several times in the past, with small jokes and very obvious ones.
It’s a show that has such a huge fanbase that anytime something is featured on it in a major way it instantly gains huge attention for people. This is one of the reasons that things like Terminator have remained incredibly popular ever since.
Futurama
Another classic cartoon television show that has referenced The Terminator in the past is Futurama, which much like Family Guy, is well-known for doing things like this. It is through moments like this that the ’80s classic has lived on.
Futurama takes a fun look at the film, which is what the show is well known for. For the most part, Futurama is incredibly funny and lighthearted, which is why the episode that features the movie is so popular amongst fans.
Ant-Man
Unsurprisingly, The Terminator has even made its way within the MCU, arguably the most popular pop culture genre around right now. The moment was actually a double pop culture wink to the fans, as it saw a cameo from Garrett Morris, who plays the first live-action version of Ant-Man in an SNL sketch.
He appeared within the MCU’s version of Ant-Man in a brief role where his line of “what the hell?” came directly from The Terminator. In the movie, a random guy is parked and is mesmerized when someone appears out of thin air.
Arrested Development
Arrested Development was a hit show that was picked up by Netflix and was absolutely packed with pop culture references to different movies, shows, and parts of the news. The Terminator was one of many things that got referenced in this show, quite consistently.
The most obvious way that they referenced the character was through Buster and his arm situation, where he literally wore a fake hand throughout. The hand changed countless times, but many times it was a metal robotic hand which was a clear nod to the classic movie.
Professional Wrestling
Professional wrestling is incredibly popular within pop culture and it is a sport that has consistently referenced The Terminator franchise. One of the most obvious ways is the fact that the character was available in a WWE video game, and Triple H did a Terminator inspired entrance at WrestleMania.
But that isn’t the only way. Several wrestlers have gone on to use The Terminator as inspiration for their entire wrestling gimmicks with the likes of Ryback, Brian Cage, and Kenny Omega all utilising the popular character to their advantage.
Rides
Another way that The Terminator has been kept alive in pop culture is through theme park rides and attractions. Visiting various theme parks around the world has become a major hobby for many people, and seeing this franchise attached to rides is a big deal.
There are several Terminator attractions dotted around the world, and they can be found in some of the biggest parks such as Universal Studios Japan, with former locations being Hollywood and Florida.
The Expendables
It shouldn’t really be a surprise that there was a Terminator reference in The Expendables. After all, the movie is jam-packed full of ’80s action stars, all of which had their own big franchises and catchphrases. The movie was a love letter to those classic action films, and Terminator falls into the category.
Because of that and the stereotypes that the entire film was built upon, there was always going to be a reference, and Arnold Schwarzenegger brought plenty. There’s one moment where all the characters burst out their classic catchphrases, and obviously this allows Arnie to bust out some Terminator classics.
Rick And Morty
Even to this day, television shows are still working hard to squeeze in references to The Terminator, with cartoon shows often leaning towards using the content. Rick and Morty is one of the most recent examples, with the incredibly popular show utilising the movie for its own advantages.
Within one episode of the popular Netflix show, the plot of The Terminator is re-told, but instead, it focuses on a snake. That snake tries to stop the resistance leader from being born, with the Terminator snakes taking over the snake world in the future. It’s utterly ridiculous, but in this show it absolutely works.
The Simpsons
When it comes to pop culture references, The Simpsons is king. If there’s been a hit movie, television show, or a major news story then it has been covered by the yellow family at some stage, and The Terminator has certainly been involved in that.
From small winks and nods with certain scenes that the show has shot, to absolutely blatant references to the movie, the cartoon show has covered the movie in detail. There are tons of different examples from this show, and it’s certainly the best references that have happened.
