Dave Bautista is the one actor with the greatest chance of successfully replacing Sylvester Stallone in the eventual Rambo reboot. Discussions around the potential relaunch of that iconic action franchise have escalated since Quentin Tarantino admitted to having an interest in the property. There are plenty of examples of '80s reboots penetrating the mainstream, but there have been many failures too. If Hollywood wants to succeed with Rambo, they'll have to be careful.
Rambo began its reign atop the '80s action genre with the release of First Blood in 1982. Backed by the star power of Rocky's Sylvester Stallone and the powerful source material of David Morrell's 1972 novel, First Blood told the troubling story of a wandering Vietnam veteran caught up in the wrath of a corrupt small-town police force. The film would go on to receive four sequels and an animated series. Despite the low to average reception of those entries, Stallone's iconic character maintained his popularity in the action hero hall of fame. Between Tarantino's recent interest and the confirmed Bollywood remake of Rambo: First Blood, the inevitable reboot has been the subject of Hollywood speculation for years.
With Sylvester Stallone's role at an end, Dave Bautista is the only leading man with all the strengths necessary to maintain Rambo's position as a beloved Hollywood character. Bautista's film career began in the early 2010s after a few television roles and a long stint as a performer and athlete in the WWE. Since that debut, he's added many credits to his action resume, including the part of a Bond villain in 2015's Spectre and a recurring role as Drax in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. Despite this, Bautista's name erroneously gets overlooked in discussions surrounding the Rambo reboot and who should replace Stallone.
Rebooting First Blood isn't as simple as finding the modern equivalent of an '80s action hero. While Bautista has some obvious traits that would benefit the role, such as his naturally imposing physique and his familiarity with on-screen stunts, the Rambo character is more than just a red headband and a big gun. The vulnerability of Rambo, a proud but haunted Vietnam War veteran, separated him from the two-dimensional characters that populated the '80s action genre. Unlike other reboot candidates, Bautista has already exhibited his ability to show nuance and emotion in his characters. Films like Blade Runner 2049 and TV series like Room 104 demonstrated an unexpected but genuine range from Bautista. That vulnerability saw Stallone beat out other '80s action stars. Bautista's range could do the same for him in the Rambo reboot.
Unfortunately for every actor interested in Stallone's former role, relaunching the franchise isn't as simple as replicating what came before. The Rambo films haven't been without their problems. A reboot would need to strive to rectify those mistakes. The largest and most consistent mistake has been the series' depiction of foreign cultures and people. The Vietnamese in Rambo 2 were portrayed as cruel bandits and the stooges of Soviet monsters. The depiction of Mexico in the franchise's fifth entry, aptly titled Last Blood, was so offensive that even David Morrell, the creator of Rambo, hated it. Casting the Filipino Dave Bautista, an outspoken champion of representation in Hollywood, would be the perfect first step towards distancing Rambo from its legacy of stereotypes.
Without careful inspection of Rambo's character, it may seem that any Hollywood actor could step into the role and resurrect the franchise. However, the depiction of veterans and foreign cultures in this series demands tact. If the Rambo reboot wants its best chance at success, Stallone's character should be replaced with an actor who can embody the franchise's good qualities while leading Rambo away from the worst. Dave Bautista is that actor.