A Rambo mini-series could give the iconic character brought to life by Sylvester Stallone the closure that he hasn't managed to achieve yet. Stallone's portrayal of John Rambo was his first significant success outside of the Rocky series, with the character coming to embody the stereotypical image of muscled-up 80's action heroes. At the same time, Rambo's harrowing PTSD from his time in the Vietnam War made him one of Stallone's most emotionally vulnerable characters.
Beginning in 1982 with First Blood, based on the eponymous novel by Dave Morrell, the Rambo series had appeared to reach its end with 1988's Rambo III, until Stallone revived the franchise with 2008 sequel Rambo. Talks of a fifth movie went back and forth for the next few years until it was finally realized through Stallone's return in Rambo: Last Blood in 2019. While the title seemingly alludes to the film being the series' concluding chapter, there might be one more Rambo story in the works, and it could actually be the best place to end the Rambo saga.
Millennium Media is reportedly developing a number of television spin-offs for some of the company's popular franchises, including The Expendables and Rambo. What's interesting about the mention of Rambo specifically is it's the latest proposed continuation of a franchise that keeps returning to cinema screens, but today is neither as big as it once was nor failing on a level that most studios would say it's time to call it quits. A Rambo TV series focused on his son was even pitched at one point and returning to that format could be advantageous as Rambo might now have the opportunity to make a genuine final bow worthy of the character.
Financially, the Rambo series peaked with the $300 million haul of Rambo: First Blood Part II in 1985 but the franchise has never risen to such box office heights since. At the same time, Stallone brought Rocky's story to a strong finish with the end of the proper series in 2006's Rocky Balboa and the Italian Stallion's mentor roles in the first two Creed movies. What Stallone's latter-day Rocky movies did that the Rambo movies haven't yet is present could be viewed as an organic end to Rocky's story. Its title notwithstanding, there's not much in Rambo: Last Blood's ending to position it as the end of the series, and it can just as easily be read as Rambo riding off to his next battle.
What's different about today compared to Rambo's heyday is the rise in popularity in long-form storytelling through streaming shows, and the franchise might find a more solid foundation to wrap up as an episodic final chapter for Rambo's story than doing the same with another theatrical movie. Stallone has also announced The Expendables 4 as his last ride with the action hero ensemble, and while he has made declarations to the contrary, there's reason to think Creed 3 might be Rocky's swan song. While Rambo isn't the juggernaut in theaters that he once was, Millennium's plans for a Rambo series could be more than just the next adventure of John Rambo, but the ideal environment to finally conclude his long-running story.