The fourth Rambo almost set up a franchise spin-off with the character of School Boy - here's why it didn't happen. The Rambo franchise seemed to come to an end with 1988's Rambo III. This sequel was, briefly, the most expensive movie ever produced. It was so pricy that despite turning what should have been a healthy profit, it was still considered a disappointment, especially compared to the haul of Rambo: First Blood Part 2. The franchise lay dormant throughout the '90s for this reason though numerous concepts were pitched to Sylvester Stallone, like Rambo foiling an attack on Camp David.
Following the success of 2006's Rocky Balboa, Stallone decided to tie on the headband once more for 2008's Rambo. This saw the disillusioned soldier reluctantly drawn into a rescue mission in Burma, where things turn very bloody. While the previous films had been violent, the high levels of gore present in Rambo almost became a selling point, including the finale where the title character mows down an army with a huge machine gun. Rambo also saw the ex-soldier working with a team of mercenaries, including Matthew Marsden's sniper "School Boy."
School Boy became the most prominent of the mercenaries, with his .50 cal rifle proving very useful throughout the latter half of the movie. In the original script - dubbed Rambo: Pearl Of The Cobra - the story ended (which has Rambo's darkest kill) and School Boy being met after the rescue mission by a mysterious U.S. government official, with the implication being he's going to send the two off on further missions. Marsden has since spoken of the original plans for his character in interviews, revealing School Boy was once in line to succeed Rambo in the franchise.
School Boy Was Supposed To Succeed Rambo
Marsden left a comment to fan group Rambomania, stating "Schoolboy was meant to take over the franchise from Rambo in the original script. There are many hints if you watch the movie including the Rambo knife Schoolboy uses in the tower." In reference to the latter scene, apparently the knife Marsden was originally holding was CG-ed over in post to resemble the blade used by Stallone in the second movie. Over the years, Stallone mulled many different concepts for the Rambo series - including a version of the fifth movie where he fought with a genetically engineered monster - but it's interesting he was thinking of handing over the reigns to a new protagonist entirely.
Rambo 2008 presents School Boy in a more heroic light than his fellow "expendable" mercenaries, including going back to help Rambo during the rescue scene against orders. It's hard to say if audiences would have accepted a Rambo spin-off with a new hero, though School Boy may have returned for another sequel where Stallone would have passed the torch. However, the original ending was dropped in favor of having Rambo return to the U.S., and as development on the fifth movie fell into development hell, its likely plans for a School Boy spin-off were dropped.