Rocky star Sylvester Stallone reveals why he never played the role of a major superhero in a comic book film. Stallone had become a commercial name in the film industry since the 1970s when he first wrote and starred in Rocky, which earned him both a writing and acting Academy Award nomination. Since then, he has appeared in five subsequent sequels of the film and in the first two films of the spinoff series Creed, which once again earned him an Academy Award nomination for playing the character of Rocky Balboa.
Outside the Rocky series, Stallone has made himself known for starring in blockbuster action films and franchises, particularly during the 1980s and 90s. One of his most notable roles during this time came when he played John Rambo in First Blood, kicking off the Rambo film series. In the early 2010s, Stallone helped create and play the lead role in The Expendables films, which have also been box-office successes despite receiving mixed reception critically. In more recent years, the longtime action lead has also begun starring more in the superhero movie genre, albeit often in a supporting role or as a character that is less known among mainstream audiences.
In a recent interview with THR, Stallone explains why he feels he never played the role of a major superhero. He expresses that it ultimately comes down to how well the parts would actually suit him. When asked about how he was almost cast in Richard Donner's Superman, he shares the following:
"I don’t look like any comic-book character. Like I could have never played The Terminator. No one would make a robot with a crooked mouth and voice that sounds like a pallbearer. It just doesn’t work. But yes. Who was the guy Sam Jackson ended up playing? Yeah. I thought I could have done something like that, where I’m not the main guy."
Stallone Has A History Playing Comic Book Roles
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Although it appears that Stallone has an interest in playing superhero roles, he feels that his voice and physical appearance are more suited to playing supporting characters like how Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury has been in the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far. Given Stallone's current history in comic book roles, it appears that he has stuck to this approach as he joined the MCU as Stakar Ogord/Starhawk in 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and the DC Universe as King Shark in 2021's The Suicide Squad. Even when he has played the lead role in a comic book film, it has generally been for a lesser-known character to the general audience and outside the Marvel and DC brands. This was the case for his roles in 1995's Judge Dredd and 2022's Samaritan.
Being known for action blockbusters and staying in peak physical shape for most of his career, people would think that an actor like Stallone would have made a bigger mark in the superhero film genre. However, with his feet already set in both the MCU and DCU, time will tell if he still gets the opportunity to with him reprising his character Stakar in a potentially more prominent role in next year's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. It also remains to be seen where King Shark will appear next in the DCU. However, with him only providing the voice for the character, the door is still open for Sylvester Stallone to appear elsewhere in the franchise, possibly in a bigger role suited for him.
Source: THR