Skip to main content

Sylvester Stallone says his days of playing Rambo are behind him

sylvester stallone jackie chan ex baghdad movie rocky rambo creed
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Sylvester Stallone may have been willing to reprise his role as Rocky Balboa in Creed, but don’t expect to see him playing John Rambo again. The actor recently told Variety that he doesn’t plan to play the skilled yet reckless war veteran again.

Although there have been rumors about Stallone working on a fifth Rambo film, the actor indicated that he’d rather “leave [the role] to someone else.” As unfortunate as it is for fans, Stallone’s age seems to be holding him back. “The heart’s willing, but the body says, ‘Stay home!'” the 69-year-old action star said. We can’t blame him — running through jungles, stealing helicopters, and freeing POWs, even when it’s all fictional, can’t be easy.

Perhaps Stallone would be more inclined to continue as the series’ protagonist if he felt he had unfinished business, but the actor is happy with what he’s done and doesn’t think he’d be able to top it. “When they asked me to do another Rambo, I said, ‘If I can’t do better than I did last time, and I can’t, then why?'” he said.

Even though Stallone is ready to move on from Rambo, Fox doesn’t think audiences are. The studio has a TV spin-off in the works that will focus on the former soldier’s son. Not only will Stallone not be involved (despite initial reports to the contrary), he seems pessimistic about the prospective project.

“I don’t want to cast aspersions,” he said, “but it’s delicate to try to replace a character with his son. I’ve seen the son of Flicka, the son of Tarzan, the son of King Kong, the son of Godzilla. It’s a very difficult premise.”

Moving forward, Stallone has plans to appear in a sequel to Creed, and his voice will be heard in both Ratchet & Clank and Animal Crackers.

Editors' Recommendations

Stephanie Topacio Long
Stephanie Topacio Long is a writer and editor whose writing interests range from business to books. She also contributes to…
3 Peacock crime dramas you should watch in May 2024
Al Pacino as Tony Montana in Scarface sitting at his desk in an iconic scene.

If you’re looking for a good crime drama to sink your teeth into this month, Peacock has you covered with a wide selection of options ,including some classic gangster movies that are worth watching again and again. If you haven’t watched them yet, now is the perfect time to check each one off your list so you can join the decades-long conversations about them.

Among three Peacock crime dramas you should watch in May, we’re looking at iconic movies starring the likes of Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci. Yes, it’s the movies you’re thinking of and they’re all available to stream right now.
Carlito’s Way (1993)
Carlito's Way (1993) Trailer #1

Read more
New York City falls in new trailer for A Quiet Place: Day One
Lupita Nyong'o and Joseph Quinn in A Quiet Place: Day One.

The Office's John Krasinski established himself as a first-rate horror and sci-fi director and writer with 2018's A Quiet Place and its 2021 follow-up, A Quiet Place Part II. For the third film in the franchise, A Quiet Place: Day One, Krasinski is turning the clock back to the beginning of the franchise's central alien invasion .

Krasinski co-wrote the script with Michael Sarnoski, who also directed the film. And in the new trailer, we get a firsthand look at the fall of New York City.

Read more
The best action movies on Netflix right now
Keanu Reeves stands alone in a scene from The Matrix Resurrections.

After appointing Arnold Schwarzenegger "Chief Action Officer" last year, Netflix's list of the best action movies has been getting better every month. Netflix has invested heavily in both original action flicks and in bringing classics from other studios onto the platform. If you need a little adrenaline boost in your life, Netflix is the streaming service for you.

This month, Zack Snyder's Netflix original Rebel Moon saga continues, the new Matrix movie hits the platform, Oscar-winning genre-bending recent hit Everything Everywhere All at Once arrives, along with a whole lot more.

Read more