Before Sylvester Stallone signed on to play Rambo and helped rewrite the script for First Blood, several other big names in Hollywood joined the project.
One of Sylvester Stallone’s most famous roles is Vietnam War veteran John Rambo in First Blood and the subsequent Rambo franchise, but that role could have gone to other actors had things gone differently. Like many Hollywood productions, First Blood took some time to get out of development, which meant the story and concept changed hands many times before Stallone and director Ted Kotcheff finally showed up. And as a result, there were many other famous names who were considered to play a major role at various stages of First Blood’s path to production.
Rambo had to go through a lot of hardship before he hit the screen, and First Blood was almost canceled after the film was made. The big one was the central conflict of First Blood, in which Rambo seems to be at war with his own country. Although First Blood is based on a book written by David Morrell in 1972, before the end of the Vietnam War, bringing Rambo’s story to the big screen at the time was a bit risky in terms of audience reaction. Even in 1982, reception was mixed, and to this day, Rambo continues to be politically misinterpreted. First Blood also struggled with the film industry, such as constant script overhaul and uncertainty about who would direct and star.
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And finally, when Sylvester Stallone, who was perfect for the role of Rambo, got the lead role in First Blood, many other famous Hollywood names were still considered and offered for the role. The list includes Al Pacino, Garner, Ryan O’Neal, John Travolta, Michael Douglas, Steve McQueen, Robert De Niro, James Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood, and Dustin Hoffman. But none of it worked, like Eastwood’s other commitments and McQueen’s older age, but most of it boils down to the same big factors that left the movie in trouble for so many years during its development.
Since the script for First Blood was constantly changing studios and directors from 1972 to 1982, it was difficult for particular actors to stay on the project for long, and caused some to turn down the role. And even the ending of “First Blood” was changed several times: And some versions killed secondary characters and even Rambo himself. And one reason why some of the actors turned down First Blood was the disagreement over the original Rambo character and the story from the novel. For the other actors, Rambo was either too dark, or violent, or not eccentric enough to justify his actions of a solitary war. But it was actually Stallone who cut down on Rambo’s murders in the
film when he signed on to the project and did his part to rewrite the script, and in the end he was also instrumental in saving the Green Beret’s life.
While other actors may have been able to pull off the part, it was actually Stallone in the script that made First Blood so successful, although of course he did a great job playing the character. John Rambo’s backstory and Vietnam War veteran make him a complex character, and of all the actors who almost played him in First Blood, Sylvester Stallone proved to be the best choice for both the original film and subsequent Rambo sequels.