Rambo is one of the most popular and successful franchises in the entertainment industry, but how many Rambo movies are there, and what’s in the future of the franchise? The action genre has seen a variety of movies and characters that have become part of pop culture, and one of the most popular ones is John J. Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), the star of the Rambo movie series. After his big break in the 1976 movie Rocky, where he played struggling boxer Rocky Balboa, Stallone continued to dominate the action genre in First Blood, released in 1982.
Directed by Ted Kotcheff, First Blood (also known as Rambo: First Blood) is based on the 1972 novel of the same name by David Morell, which many directors tried to adapt in the 1970s. First Blood introduced the audience to John Rambo, a former US soldier traumatized by his experience at the Vietnam War. Rambo is forced to rely on his combat and survival skills when he gets into trouble after an incident triggers his violent side, resulting in him having to survive a massive manhunt by police and government troops. First Blood wasn’t exactly a critical success but was a box office hit, and it’s now considered a highlight in Stallone’s career as well as one of the most influential movies in the action genre.
The success of First Blood made way for a franchise that not only covers movies but also TV shows, comic books, video games, and even a Bollywood remake, but its most notable entries are, of course, its big-screen sequels – but how many Rambo movies are there and will there be more in the near future?
How Many Rambo Movies There Are
First Blood was followed by Rambo: First Blood Part II in 1985, in which John Rambo is released from prison in a deal with the U.S. government which he quickly breaks and goes back to his own brutal combat skills. Just like the first movie, First Blood Part II wasn’t well-received by critics but was a commercial success, and it made way for three more sequels: Rambo III (1988), Rambo (2008), and Rambo: Last Blood (2019). In total, then, the Rambo franchise is comprised of five movies, with John Rambo continuing to do justice through his own, brutal and violent ways.
Will Rambo 6 Ever Happen
Talks about a sixth Rambo movie began before Rambo: Last Blood was released in theaters, with Stallone sharing during the Cannes Film Festival in 2019 that he would continue playing John Rambo if the new movie succeeded, though director Adrian Grünberg stated he hoped Last Blood would “close the circle”. Stallone later confirmed plans for a prequel movie, as he wished to explore who John Rambo was before the war. Later, in 2019, Stallone said he would like to see Rambo take refuge in an Indian reservation in a potential Rambo 6, an idea he insisted on in 2020. On the other hand, in 2021, Quentin Tarantino expressed interest in directing a movie adaptation of the First Blood novel, though it would be separate from Stallone’s movie series. The future of Rambo 6 remains unknown, and if it happens, it could either be a prequel or a proper sequel, based on Stallone’s comments.