Vin Diesel as the new Terminator? I think not. However Justin Lin did hint that it could be a possibility, even if the hint is a really remote one.

We heard back in February that Justin Lin was being considered to take on the next Terminator film, and that was confirmed the other week when Lin said he had an option on it. However the latest comment is thin, paper thin, and yet there's the slightest suggestion that there could be a new face to the Terminator.

Back in February the rumour was that Justin Lin was being talked to regarding the next film in the Terminator franchise, and last week he revealed that he did have that option on the table.

Through Collider and Omlette he said:

"I have options. Terminator was one of my favorite films growing up. And I feel I have a take that I would love to see, and I've talked with Arnold and we've talked and we'll see. Again, I would love to do it, but it has to be the right circumstances. It has to be the right people. And there's other projects too."

So he clearly was in the running, and he's also very clear that it would need the right people around him and if he's talked to Arnold Schwarzenegger already that would mean that one of the right people is the Terminator himself, because you couldn't carry on the franchise with another Terminator could you?

No is the answer you're looking for.

However the latest comment from Justin Lin on the subject seems to have raised the question of whether or not he might consider Vin Diesel as a new Terminator model. Now this is where I remind you all about leading questions, context and snippets of conversations, and how comments and answers can suddenly seem like an entirely different statement. However...

Moviehole through JoBlo have Lin's comments from a press event for Fast Five

"Vin's been a really great partner on this franchise. We've talked about the mythology [of the Terminator series]...[pause] he's a great guy and a great actor. I really like working with him so anything I do I usually talk to him about. Sometimes we even talk about going back and doing a little indie movie...

... You never know."

Now the question is what does that mean to you, for me that's in response to a question "would you consider casting Vin Diesel in a new Terminator film?", or perhaps even stretched to "would you consider casting Vin Diesel as a new Terminator?". Even then the answer seems very tenuous and well thought through, it doesn't seem anywhere near a yes to me.

Let's also remind ourselves of the previous comment:

"I would love to do it, but it has to be the right circumstances. It has to be the right people. "

Then he spoke with Arnie. I don't believe that means he'd cast Diesel as the new Terminator, I could see him maybe getting a part in the film, but I don't believe that the audience nor the producers would accept a dramatic change like that. If they do replace Arnold Schwarzenegger, which lets face it they may have to do as he's not going to return to that shape again, then it would have to be someone...

Okay I've interrupted my own train of thought there and reminded myself how good Robert Patrick was as a new model Terminator. Could Diesel carry that off? Could anyone else, and could that role be expanded beyond the role of new Terminator to get beaten up by old Terminator and become the main Terminator character for the series to come? Could the Terminator franchise continue without the original Terminator?

I'm now not so sure, and maybe a new Terminator might just work...