McG directed the 2009 film Terminator Salvation. The movie shifted the franchise’s setting largely into the post-apocalyptic future, showing the war between human resistance forces and Skynet’s machines.
McG, whose real name is Joseph McGinty Nichol, was already known for directing music videos and the Charlie’s Angels films. Terminator Salvation starred Christian Bale as John Connor and Sam Worthington as Marcus Wright, a mysterious figure connected to the machine war.
Unlike the first three films, Salvation emphasized battlefield action rather than a contemporary chase through Los Angeles. It was intended to begin a new trilogy, but the planned continuation did not proceed. The title is often shortened informally to “Salvation,” though its official title includes “Terminator.”