Summary
- Sylvester Stallone has stepped away from some of his iconic roles, including John Rambo, and has no plans to return to them.
- Stallone previously turned down the opportunity to reprise his role as Rambo, but eventually returned in 2008 and 2019.
- There were plans for a Rambo streaming series, but Stallone revealed that the direction has changed and he may only have a limited role in it.
For many Hollywood veterans, there is a strong sense of never knowing when to quit. However, Sylvester Stallone seems to be making himself an exception to the rule after recently stepping away from some of his best known roles and shutting down the chances of him ever returning to them again. The latest of Stallone’s classic roles to get this treatment is John Rambo.
The Hollywood hardman recently hit the Toronto International Film Festival to discuss his upcoming documentary movie, Sly, and of course the subject of some of his many movie roles came up in the process. While Stallone seemingly stepped away from the role of Rocky Balboa for good after Creed II, choosing not to return for Creed III, and signing off from The Expendables franchise with the upcoming fourth movie, it is not surprising that Stallone was asked about his thoughts on the future of Rambo. In a video shared by JoBlo, he joked:
“Rambo, I could leave him. He’s done pretty much, even though they want to do another one, but what am I fighting? Arthritis?”
Of course, as Creed III proved, there can be life beyond Stallone for the franchises he helped to make a success, and there is no doubt that even if he is not involved, there will be a continuation of the Rambo franchise somewhere down the line.
Sylvester Stallone has Teased A Different Route for Rambo’s Return.
Way back around the time of Rocky III, Sylvester Stallone was given the chance to reprise his role as Rambo in a fourth instalment. However, despite a $34 million pay offer being on the cards, the actor turned down option, not feeling it was the right time to bring the war veteran back to screens after the so-so reaction to Rambo III. He would eventually return in 2008’s Rambo and again 11 years later in Rambo: Last Blood.
In 2022, it seemed that Rambo was about to make his small screen debut in a new streaming series that would see Stallone’s John Rambo passing the baton to a new lead. This was a surprise to many, as it was previously believed that the proposed series would be a prequel to the original movie, but Stallone shared some details on how the change of direction came about.
“I think it’s going to happen. I wanted to do it like a Ken Burns documentary on Vietnam, where you drop young Rambo in there and he’s this outgoing guy, football captain, and then you see why he becomes Rambo. But what they want to do is a modern-day story where I pass the torch. That’s getting close.”
There has been very little said about the project since then, but with Stallone having side-stepped into the world of television with his lead role in Tulsa King, it is still possible that Rambo’s next story will be told on the small screen with Stallone having just a limited role.
