Arnold Schwarzenegger has fans concerned as new footage of him surrounded by five bodyguards emerges

Arnold Schwarzenegger fans have shared concerns for the Terminator star after footage of him surrounded by five bodyguards emerged online.

The actor, who is now 77 years old, was caught on camera walking in New York City as he takes on a new role in the Christmas movie The Man with the Bag, which is being directed by Adam Shankman.

In the footage, Schwarzenegger seems to have thrown himself into the festive spirit as he's seen wearing a Christmas jumper while sporting a grey beard - a very different look from some of his other iconic, action-packed roles.

The actor is surrounded in the video by a number of bodyguards, some of who are wearing suits as they guide him to what looks to be his on-set trailer. He makes it there without incident, but fans have still shared some concerns after watching the video.

"Wow! What happened to him?," one Twitter user wrote, as another added: "Didn't even recognize him."

Fans also noted that Schwarzenegger was once famous for his strength and power - though others came to his defence, pointing out that he's on his way to being 80 years old and therefore will no longer look like he did in some of his previous movies.

Of course, there's also the fact that Schwarzenegger is taking on the role of Santa for his Christmas movie - a character that requires the kind of elderly look Schwarzenegger has achieved with grey hair and a beard.

"Hes [sic] getting ready for a movie, that's why he looks like that!," one fan commented.

In spite of fans' concerns, Schwarzenegger seemed to be in good spirits as he smiled and posed alongside his co-star, Alan Ritchson, to promote The Man with the Bag on Instagram.

In a post shared on December 17, the actor wrote: "Santa Claus is coming to town! It is fantastic to be shooting The Man with the Bag with @alanritchson. Our director @adamshankman is one of the funniest directors I’ve worked with, New York City is an amazing host, working with @amazonmgmstudios is a joy, and I can’t wait to share all of this Christmas cheer with each and every one of you."

According to the logline for the movie, The Man with the Bag sees Santa team up with a thief named Vance to retrieve his magic bag, which has been stolen from him.

“Along with his daughter, Santa, and a group of misfits, Vance will have to pull off the greatest heist of his life to save Christmas," the synopsis explains.

A release date for the movie is yet to be confirmed.

UNILAD has reached out to representatives for Schwarzenegger for comment.