Five years ago, Sylvester Stallone said that after four films spanning 26 years, he was done with one of his most famous characters, the veiny, dangerously muscular John Rambo. For most aging action stars, this sort of proclamation would make perfect sense, and likely even be met with reactions like, “thank God, you’re in your 60s” and “there was a fourth Rambo movie?” But, as we all know by now, Stallone is no ordinary action hero pushing 70. Time and time again he’s revisited the iconic characters that catapulted him to fame, rounding up his similarly sinewy and graying buddies for a new Expendables movie every couple of years on the side. So it was no surprise when early this year Sly confirmed a fifth Rambo, dubbed Last Blood as if it would actually be some sort of finale.
Now a new twist has emerged: Deadline reports that Last Blood is on hold, and in works instead is a potential TV series at Fox called Rambo: New Blood. Stallone will executive produce the project, which focuses on “the complex relationship between Rambo and his son, J.R., an ex-Navy SEAL.” He isn’t yet confirmed as Rambo, and while it would be a little awkward to see someone else in the role, Stallone apparently thinks Ryan Gosling could do it. As in shape and talented as Gosling is though, he’s only 35, so portraying a renegade soldier who fought in the Vietnam war who’s also father to an ex-Navy SEAL would be a bit of a stretch for him. Better stick to the 69-year-old Stallone with this one.