Terminator: Dark Fate director Tim Miller shares his thoughts on the movie's failure and touches specifically on viewers' feelings about John Connor's shocking death. Released in 2019, the sixth installment in the long-running Terminator franchise wasn't universally loved. The film, which features the return of original stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton, was also box office disappointment, grossing $261 million worldwide and stalling the franchise. Terminator: Dark Fate's opening scene, which features a T-800 gunning down a young John, was a point of particular contention.

Five years after Terminator: Dark Fate's poor debut, Miller, in an interview with Variety, reflects on the divisive film. Miller defends both himself and the film, arguing that many of the movie's controversial elements weren't actually his idea. Regarding John's death scene, Miller confirms that this was franchise producer and original movie director James Cameron's idea, but also that he doesn't think it was the wrong decision.