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When you think of classic action movies, the first name that undoubtedly comes to mind is Sylvester Stallone. The 77-year-old actor once dominated Hollywood with iconic action movie franchises likeRocky,Rambo, andThe Expendables. Interestingly, even today, all these franchises continue to release new movies, but the once glorious genre of action movies seems to be fading away.
Stallone claims that the advent of superhero films has diminished the audience’s interest in real action stars. Surprisingly, he made these observations even before the rise of billion-dollar superhero franchises like the MCU and DCEU.
Also Read:“It was like a bolt of lightning”: Sylvester Stallone’s $1.7B Franchise Was Born After Actor Bet Against Muhammad Ali That Inspired His Own Life Story
Sylvester Stallone BlamedBatman 1989For Ruining Action Movies
According toSylvester Stallone, action movies lost their momentum due to the emergence of superhero films. TheEscape Planactor particularly pointed toMichael Keaton‘sBatman 1989as a turning point that introduced technology into the action hero genre:
“It was the first Batman movie. The action movies changed radically when it became possible to Velcro your muscles on. It was the beginning of a new era. The visual took over. The special effects became more important than the single person. That was the beginning of the end.”
TheDemolition Manactor shared that the technology was making him expendable. Stallone stated that anyone could become a major action star without having to work hard on their body like he did. The genre had opened the door for anyone, including kids, to become action heroes.
Also Read:“It’s definitely affecting work”: Sylvester Stallone Confirms $9M Paycheck On Hold After Writers Strike Halts Season 2 Of Hit Series
Sylvester Stallone’s ‘Real’ Muscles Could Not Compete A Superhero’s ‘Velcro’ Muscles
Furthermore, Stallone sarcastically shared that having access to such technology would have made it much easier for him to avoid spending hours in the gym to prepare for his roles.
“This genre, unfortunately, is becoming … let’s just say it’s fading away. You have the superheroes today which are possessed with all extraordinary powers; they can blink, and a fireball comes out of there. It’s great. And then you have a bunch of us, which is just your basic male-pattern badness. … Kind of like hands-on action.”
TheTulsa Kingactor jokingly remarked that he could have simply put on a Velcro suit for his roles, eliminating the need for intense physical training.
Also Read:Despite $1 Million Per Episode Salary, ‘Tulsa King’ Forced Sylvester Stallone to Wear Outdated Suits for a Genius Reason
Sylvester Stallone Could Have Been Your Favourite Superhero
Despite his initial reservations about superhero movies, Sylvester Stallone eventually joined the genre when he starred inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. His response suggests that the devout action hero has a fondness for the MCU, calling it“the next generation’s mythology”:
“Early on in my career I became fascinated with mythology. Joseph Campbell’s Hero with a Thousand Faces, and so on and so forth. When I started doing Rambo, [I came to understand] there’s an evolution that takes place. Every generation has to find itself, define its own heroes, define its own mythology. And [the MCU] is this generation’s – and maybe even the next generation’s – mythology.”
Also Read:“I’m a stereotype. I can’t break away from that”: Sylvester Stallone Blames His Dark Voice For Not Achieving One Thing He Wanted in Hollywood
Ironically, Stallone’s career as a superhero movie actor almost began decades earlier. He was on the verge of landing the lead role in Richard Donner’sSuperman, one of the most significant superhero films in cinematic history. Most recently, Stallone starred in the titular role in the movieSamaritan, playing an old-age superhero.
Source:LA Times
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3017
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
