Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Ambition to Surpass Stallone Fuels ‘Terminator 2’

• Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed his desire for “Terminator 2” to have more blood and violence in order to surpass Sylvester Stallone.
• Both Schwarzenegger and Stallone, popular action stars of the 1980s, have openly acknowledged their past rivalry.
• Schwarzenegger expressed initial skepticism towards James Cameron’s vision for the sequel.

During a panel at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed that he wanted to surpass Sylvester Stallone in on-screen violence, but “Terminator 2” director James Cameron rejected his requests for more bloodshed.

Schwarzenegger, known for his action-packed career, spoke candidly about his initial doubts regarding Cameron’s concept of him portraying a “good Terminator” in the sequel. Despite his skepticism, Schwarzenegger humorously emphasized his desire to increase the body count, presenting ideas such as throat-slashing and vehicular manslaughter.

Both Schwarzenegger and Stallone openly acknowledge their rivalry as iconic action stars of the 1980s. In the Netflix docuseries “Arnold,” Stallone praised Schwarzenegger as a “superior” action hero possessing the perfect combination of physicality and strength. Schwarzenegger, on the other hand, admitted to feeling like he was playing catch-up to Stallone, who had already established himself with the successful “Rocky” films prior to Schwarzenegger’s breakthrough in “Conan the Barbarian.”