As the world’s most beloved bodybuilder-turned-actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger flexed his way into audiences’ hearts with action-packed films like Predator and Commando. However, the initial turbo boost to his career came with the outlandishly unique The Terminator in 1984. In the hands of its director James Cameron, the sci-fi gem introduced fans to the iconic cyborg assassin role played by the 76-year-old that cemented his place in the industry. Additionally, it also paired the actor-director duo for many more projects to come.

Yet, even after delivering their 1984 sci-fi blockbuster, Schwarzenegger once revealed one criticism of Cameron that always followed him in his career. 

What criticism did Arnold Schwarzenegger persistently receive?

In a conversation with Entertainment Weekly in 1994, Schwarzenegger spoke of the then-budding dynamic between him and the Canadian director. After working on various projects like La Totale! and Last Action Hero, the two paired up again for True Lies. According to Schwarzenegger, Cameron expected “perfection” during its shoot, much like their previous ventures. But if the Austrian Oak asked for feedback, he would jokingly refer to his The Terminator role and say that the Austrian-American did the best a “human being” could. 

Almost three decades later, today the two are known to still be good friends who sometimes embark on adventurous trips together. Even Schwarzenegger’s True Lies co-star Tia Carrere felt that he had immense “respect” for the director. For her, this was evident in the way that he blindly followed Cameron’s lead without questions. After all, through their partnership, the 7-time Mr. Olympia champion had become a Hollywood A-lister.

If another one of Cameron’s dreams had come true, he would have also landed a Marvel Cinematic Universe part for his protégé!

James Cameron wanted Schwarzenegger for this Spider-Man role

It is hard to imagine Schwarzenegger, who is usually portrayed as a patriotic savior, in the role of an antagonist. Well, not for the Avatar director. Apparently, he wanted to helm Spider-Man back in the 90s with the Kindergarten Cop actor playing the villain. Not only that, he planned on bringing in Leonardo DiCaprio for the Marvel superhero’s part, too. After all, his work with DiCaprio had resulted in one of the biggest blockbusters of Hollywood, Titanic. 

The grand Spiderman dream, however, was not something Cameron could fulfill, even with his exorbitant budget. Still, one cannot blame Cameron for wanting to bring Schwarzenegger back in the garb of a villain after his stellar acting in The Terminator. Especially if it could have delivered a face-off between him and The Great Gatsby actor. By bringing together the actors behind the two biggest flicks of that decade, Cameron could have delivered an unprecedented hit. 

Do you think James Cameron’s perfectionist attitude is reflected in his films? Share your thoughts in the comments.