Why Linda Hamilton is returning to the 'Terminator' franchise

— -- It's been 26 years since the critically-acclaimed film "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," the last time Linda Hamilton played Sarah Connor, the warrior mother doing her best to keep her son John away from time-traveling robots sent to kill him.

But yesterday, director and "Terminator" creator James Cameron dropped a bombshell -- she's back for another sequel.

Cameron and the "Terminator" himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger, are already involved in an upcoming film set after the events of "T2." But the famed director told the Hollywood Reporter at a private event that "as meaningful as she was to gender and action stars everywhere back then, it’s going to make a huge statement to have that seasoned warrior that she’s become return."

Cameron commented on guys like Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone and asked why women in their 50's and 60's couldn't also be headlining action films today.

"There isn’t an example of that for women," he said. Until now.

Cameron won't be behind the camera for this film, it will be "Deadpool" director Tim Miller, but he'll be producing and writing the story. He was not involved in the several panned sequels starring actors like Christian Bale and Emilia Clarke in the 2003, 2009 and 2015.

Essentially, this movie will begin right where the 1991 "T2" left off -- about three decades later.

New characters will be introduced, as well, including, "an 18-something woman to be the new centerpiece of the new story," Cameron said.

The new franchise led by Cameron resembles the new "Star Wars" films in some ways. Just as 2015's "The Force Awakens" brought back legends like Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford, while introducing new heroes like Daisy Ridley, "Terminator" will also include both generations.

"There will be mostly new characters, but we'll have Arnold and Linda’s characters to anchor it," the director said.

Cameron's comments on gender and age inequality come after he made negative remarks about the recent box office success of "Wonder Woman," calling the film's star an "objectified icon."

"Sarah Connor was not a beauty icon. She was strong, she was troubled, she was a terrible mother and she earned the respect of the audience through pure grit," he told the Guardian.

In response to his comments, "Wonder Woman" director Patty Jenkins fired back, writing, "James Cameron's inability to understand what 'Wonder Woman' is, or stands for, to women all over the world is unsurprising as, though he is a great filmmaker, he is not a woman."