Now thatSylvester Stallonehas exitedCliffhanger 2, there’s only one franchise left for him to return to. Before the 1980s, sequels and franchises were quite rare. Even when they did happen, they were generally lower-budget than the original, and studios considered themselves lucky to gross around 60% of what the first entry made. Sylvester Stallone was one of the first actors to see the value in building brands for himself, starting withRocky IIin 1979. The star hadn’t intended to make aRockymovie series, but it quickly became a reliable saga for him to return to.
OtherSylvester Stallone movie franchisesincludeThe ExpendablesandEscape Plan, and for a time, it appearedCliffhangerwould join that list. The star was attached tothe upcomingCliffhanger 2, reprising his role as Gabe Walker. Instead,Varietyhas confirmed the project is being overhauled, and will instead be a soft reboot fronted by Lily James and Pierce Brosnan. No reasons have been cited for Stallone’s departure, but his sudden exit leaves the star in a strange place in terms of franchises.
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Sylvester Stallone’s upcoming thriller Armor sees him play a rare villain role and could break one of his worst habits for the first time in decades.
With His Cliffhanger 2 Exit, Rambo Is The Only Big Franchise Stallone Has Left
Stallone fans shouldn’t expect a Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot 2
Whatever the details of hisCliffhangerexit, Stallone only really has theRambofranchise left to turn back to.Stallone retired Rocky Balboa followingCreed 2and was notably absent from the third installment, whileExpendables 4was a huge box office bomb and is the lowest-rated entry. While a sequel to his Amazon adventureSamaritanis said to be in development, the film has yet to move ahead.
… Stallone mulled some Rambo6ideas after the fifth movie, including having the half-Native American John hiding out on a reservation.
Even ifSamartian 2does come together, that hardly feels like a project audiences are clamoring for. In the past, Stallone has always had a character to fall back upon when coming off the back of underperforming projects.Stallone currently has no active franchises he’s part of, butRambo 6is the only one that could realistically happennow. The ending ofLast Bloodimplies the wounded ex-soldier was about to die - but Rambo has gotten out of worse predicaments too.
Indeed, Stallone mulled someRambo 6ideas after the fifth movie, including having the half-Native American John hiding out on a reservation. Another sequel would naturally need to take Stallone’s age into account, so he wouldn’t be firing an M-60 in one arm without wearing a shirt. Even so,one moreRambocould serve as an epilogue to one of the star’s best characters.
Rambo: Last Bloodalmost ended with the main character’s death, but during post-production, Sylvester Stallone used CGI to keep Rambo’s rocking chair moving to indicate he was still alive.
Why Stallone Is Unlikely To Return To His Other Major Franchises
Stallone’s Rocky exit feels permanent
While Stallone’s exit fromCreed 3initially appeared to be his way of handing the series to Michael B. Jordan, it was later confirmed he was feuding with series producer Irwin Winkler. This was due to Stallone’s lack of ownership over the characters he created, and it appears this dispute hasn’t been resolved.Creed 4is in development and aDragospinoff is also planned, but the series appears to be moving beyond Rocky Balboaand Stallone.
Another property that Sylvester Stallone is unlikely to come back to isThe Expendables.The fourthExpendableswas such an unambiguous flop the property might be done for good; if it does come back, it will probably be rebooted with a new cast. There’s a slim chance it could go to television - just as Millennium did with theirHas Fallenfranchise - but even that wouldn’t guarantee Stallone’s involvement. While the star found himself an STV series withEscape Plan, the poor reception to the sequels means nobody is really asking for a fourth chapter either.
If Rambo 6 Happens, It Can Redeem Last Blood
Last Blood may as well have been called Taken 4
In a 2023 interview at the Toronto International Film Festival (viaJoBlo.com’s Facebook page), Stallone stated he was finished with the John Rambo character. Despite this, he claimed producers were still eager to make another sequel.
Rambo, I could leave him. He’s done pretty much, even though they want to do another one, but what am I fighting? Arthritis?
Despite receiving largely negative reviews,Last Bloodwas still a modest hit. If anything,Rambois the one franchise Stalloneshouldreturn to, since the fifth film was easily the weakest. The issue withLast Bloodis that it felt like a hyperviolent riff onTakeninstead of aRambomovie. Stallone’s performance was the highlight, but every other character felt one-note, and outside the gory thrills of the finale, the sequel was a joyless, nihilistic slog.
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Rambo 6could give Stallone’s titular character a more dignified final chapterthan the last entry. He can make peace with his past and his talent for warfare - while kicking some ass along the way. The film doesn’t have to end with his death either, and it could even give John Rambo a (reasonably) happy ending. This might be wishful thinking, and whileTulsa Kingmight keep Sylvester Stallone busy, his fans also want to see him back on the big screen.
Cliffhanger 2
Cast
Cliffhanger 2 is the sequel to the 1993 action-adventure film starring Sylvester Stallone. The film will see Stallone return as an older mountaineer along with his daughter, who has begun following in his footsteps.
Rambo
Beginning with the novel and the film First Blood in 1982, Rambo is an action-adventure franchise starring Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, a Vietnam War veteran embroiled in violent conflicts that test his survival skills. The series has enjoyed critical success over several decades, branching into comic books, video games, and more.
