“I don’t want to be a part of it”: Sylvester Stallone Would Not Have Hesitated to Abandon His $818 Million Franchise For One Valid Reason
Sylvester Stallone, who owns the role of John Rambo from his hit Rambo franchise, almost abandoned it from which he gained such a massive fanbase. It would have been quite disheartening for fans if Sylvester Stallone, who’s lauded for portraying the main and powerful character in the successful Rambo franchise had abandoned it.
However, Stallone had a valid reason, unlike the typical actor’s tantrums. The actor was disappointed with his character’s ending as it would have negatively impacted the Vietnam veterans.
Sylvester Stallone Almost Departed From Rambo Franchise
Thanks to the makers they acknowledged Sylvester Stallone‘s point and why he wished to almost discard Rambo. The Escape Plan star was discontent with the initial ending of his character’s arc which included John Rambo being shot dead. Stallone’s concerns lie with the real-life Vietnam veterans who might have gotten the wrong message from his character’s ending. The Cop Land star, in his Netflix documentary, Sly, said:
“At the very end, originally the way it was in the script, I am shot by Colonel Trautman and I die in slow motion, I said to the director, ‘This is not good.’ I don’t want everyone who is a Vietnam vet to see this film and [see] me shot and realize, ‘Oh, so there’s no hope for me at all. None.’”
Stallone recalled how he kept his concern regarding the veterans in front of the director and expressed disappointment with the initial ending. Rambo is one of the most incredibly famous action movies ever made and doesn’t back down from themes like trauma. He added:
“At that time, they were losing 20,000 vets to suicide a month. I said, ‘I don’t want to be part of it. I don’t. I’m not going to.”
Trauma is the central aspect of John Rambo in the film and the ending that was initially scripted as Rambo being shot dead by Colonel Trautman could have negatively impacted the Vietnam war veterans leading them not to believe in hope. Stallone stood with his concern and desired to leave the project if the ending wasn’t changed by the makers.
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Sylvester Stallone Hasn’t Recovered From The Expendables Yet
This also comes from his recent Netflix documentary Sly, which Sylvester Stallone hasn’t physically recovered from. The Expendables is Sallone’s one of the successful franchises that earned the actor immense appraisals and an increase in his fanbase. The Oscar nominates star rose to stardom overnight through Rocky, which is surprisingly not the movie he’s still recovering from.
Netflix documentary showcases Stallone’s career challenges and how he made The Expendables starring renowned action stars. The actor wrote, directed, and starred in Expendables which took a major toll on him. Sylvester Stallone even experienced a broken neck during the filming of a scene where his character Barney fights Steve Austin‘s Paine.
The Get Carter star in his documentary reveals: “Truthfully, I’ve never fully recovered from Expendables 1. It did such a number on my body, I’ve never been the same.” Stallone not only experienced a broken neck but also dislocated his shoulders and suffered from bronchitis and thrush during filming.
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Watch Rambo on Netflix.
