Last year saw hope for another Rambo film transforming into a FOX sequel TV series with Sylvester Stallone on board to produce and potentially cameo, though it didn’t take the Rocky franchise star long to distance himself from the project altogether. Now, Stallone reveals both that he’s retired the character of John Rambo, and his “delicate” reason for leaving the TV project.

Speaking with Variety, the 69-year old Creed star explained that age proved a primary motivator for putting to rest the Rambo character, while few stories he could conjure would say anything more than the 2008 return did.

The heart’s willing, but the body says, ‘Stay home!’ It’s like fighters that go back for one last round and get clobbered. Leave it to someone else ... There’s nothing left. When they asked me to do another ‘Rambo,’ I said, ‘If I can’t do better than I did last time, and I can’t, then why?’

That said, leaving it to someone else was exactly what FOX’s proposed Rambo series had in mind, focusing on the legendary fighter’s son, J.R. Rambo. As to why Stallone ended up distancing himself from the New Blood project:

I don’t want to cast aspersions, but it’s delicate to try to replace a character with his son. I’ve seen the son of Flicka, the son of Tarzan, the son of King Kong, the son of Godzilla. It’s a very difficult premise.

The series was to follow the 1982 film character’s ex-Navy SEAL son J.R. Rambo (ugh, we know), though Rambo: New Blood is seen as unlikely to move forward without Stallone. Die Hard screenplay writer Jeb Stuart was to write and executive produce New Blood, alongside producer Avi Lerner.

You can watch the original trailer below, but might Stallone have found any further  place for the Rambo character? Should the TV series move forward all the same?

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