Warning: There are spoilers forward for The Working Man.Director Edgar Wright explains the true id of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character within the new model of The Working Man. Schwarzenegger performs the protagonist, Ben Richards, within the 1987 movie adaptation, whereas Glen Powell leads the 2025 Working Man‘s forged as Ben.
When Ben watches the Community and a few of their recreation reveals early on within the new film, a $100 invoice of the fictional New {Dollars} forex is proven. The invoice options a picture of Schwarzenegger sporting a go well with and searching stoic.
In an interview with CinemaBlend, Wright explains that Schwarzenegger’s picture is on the invoice as a result of on this model of the US, he’s the president. Wright and his artistic workforce determined that people not born in the US can run for president on this universe, that means that Schwarzenegger may go from being the governor of California to the White Home. Try Wright’s rationalization beneath:
We determined that in barely alternate 2025 is that they modify the foundations, and other people not born in the US can run for president. So, the governor of California ultimately grew to become the president and in our model of occasions, he is Arnold. He’s not Ben Richards, he’s Arnold Schwarzenegger, the president.
Wright acknowledges that the thought of Schwarzenegger being the president isn’t distinctive to The Working Man. He provides credit score to Daniel Waters, author of the 1993 science-fiction film Demolition Man, and the way the film mentions President Schwarzenegger. Years later, Wright wished to proceed the joke.
I’ve to provide credit score to Daniel Waters, the nice author who wrote Demolition Man as a result of he made that joke first in Demolition Man. They make a short point out of President Schwarzenegger. So, I wished to proceed that joke.
A decade after the discharge of Demolition Man, Schwarzenegger grew to become the governor of California in 2003 and held the place till 2011. Elsewhere in standard tradition, Schwarzenegger can also be depicted because the U.S. president in 2007’s The Simpsons Film, the place he’s voiced by Harry Shearer.
Whereas Schwarzenegger’s quasi-cameo is simply meant to be a enjoyable nod to the 1987 movie, Wright’s rationalization does increase some new questions on The Working Man‘s ending. The brand new adaptation sees Ben main the general public as they freely revolt towards the Community, and Ben shoots producer Dan Killian (Josh Brolin) proper earlier than the credit start to roll.
Companies just like the Community and their executives are the actual energy on this fictional world and never the precise authorities. With Killian and the Community now destroyed, there’s a query of how energy is restructured on this society.
Schwarzenegger’s president was seemingly little greater than a public figurehead for the companies, which Ben and the general public are unlikely to let stand as they take again the ability stolen from them. It’s intriguing to contemplate what occurs to the president on this aftermath, and that Schwarzenegger’s character is now a part of the corrupt elite after the actor beforehand performed Ben.
Similar to the Stepen King e-book it’s primarily based on, 2025’s The Working Man is designed to be a standalone story, so these questions on Schwarzenegger’s character are unlikely to ever be answered. This does not take away from the cameo, although, because it’s merely a refined and enjoyable solution to pay tribute to Schwarzenegger and his necessary position within the historical past of this explicit story.
- Launch Date
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November 14, 2025
- Producers
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George Linder, Nira Park, Simon Kinberg