Similar to how Harrison Ford has circled back to portray a number of famous roles from yesteryear (see: Blade Runner 2049, Indiana Jones 5), Hollywood veteran Sylvester Stallone is no stranger to indulging in a little nostalgia from time to time, too – even if that nostalgia takes on the form of a tongue-in-cheek ensemble movie in the vein of The Expendables.
Case in point: Creed, Ryan Coogler’s Rocky spinoff movie that took that fundamental underdog story, slapped on a new lick of paint, and delivered a powerful, moving boxing film revolving around one Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan).
Balancing the old with the new, Coogler’s hard-hitting drama still made room for Stallone’s Rocky Balboa, who assumed the role of a mentor/father figure to coach the young, unrefined Adonis into a bona fide world beater. That arc will continue through the release of Creed 2, which is expected to commence production in 2018 once Ryan Coogler and Jordan have wrapped work on Black Panther. It’s that sequel that has also directed Stallone’s attention away from Tiger Shroff’s First Blood, after a spokesperson for the actor told Deadline that he won’t be involved in the upcoming Rambo redo whatsoever.
In short, the message from the Sylvester Stallone camp confirmed that “any involvement in Tiger Sharoff’s Rambo is not happening, under any circumstances.” Alas, those hoping for a Stallone cameo in the forthcoming Hindu remake will be disappointed, but it does give Tiger Shroff and director Siddharth Anand a chance to place their own stamp on the Rambo lore, rather than feeling tied down by Stallone’s presence as the musclebound mercenary.
Creed 2, meanwhile, will begin shooting sometime next year, when Adonis Johnson will go up against the son of Drago, who was famously played by Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV. Cue “Hearts on Fire.”
