It’s been six years since Sylvester Stallone’s final outing as the Vietnam War veteran John Rambo hit theaters, and I’m still mad about what a letdown it was. It was on September 20, 2019, when action movie lovers first witnessed the creative failure that was Rambo: Last Blood, a movie that represents a low point in Stallone’s career.

I’m a huge fan of the original First Blood movie, which was a thoughtful exploration of soldiers’ PTSD and the societal neglect Vietnam War veterans faced when returning to civilian life. While later sequels abandoned these thoughtful themes in favor of fast-paced action, Last Blood stripped Rambo of the nuance that made him an icon in the first place.

Last Blood Was A New Low For The Struggling Rambo Franchise

First Blood was a movie that really didn’t require a sequel, as it powerfully adapted David Morrell’s thoughtful novel in a way that balanced action and social commentary. The cracks had already started to show in First Blood: Part II, as having Rambo return to Vietnam to save remaining prisoners of war stood in total opposition to his character’s needs.

Rather than address his mental health issues and try to adapt to civilian life, as the Rambo series continued, Stallone increasingly portrayed him as an unstoppable killing machine. Rambo III takes things even further as the action star goes to Afghanistan and fights against the Soviet Army.

While the message of the original film about the importance of looking out for veterans had an anti-war sentiment, each subsequent installment felt increasingly like wartime propaganda. A prime example of this was 2008’s Rambo, which saw him lead a group of mercenaries into Burma to rescue Christian missionaries.

By the time we get to Last Blood, any nuance surrounding the character was long gone, and this new mission saw Stallone travelling to Mexico to rescue a young girl kidnapped by the cartel. With graphic violence that felt purposeless, the script from Matthew Cirulnick and Stallone garnered widespread accusations of racism and xenophobia.

Stallone may not have set out to make a racist movie, but the one-dimensional and stereotypical Mexican antagonists were so bereft of depth that it was impossible to view the film as anything but culturally insensitive. Through a typical white savior narrative, Last Blood was full of tired action tropes and felt politically tone deaf.

Sylvester Stallone Couldn’t Modernize Rambo Like He Did With Rocky

It’s a shame that Last Blood was such a letdown, as Stallone did a great job reviving his other iconic character, Rocky, for the 21st century. As an underdog boxer coming out of retirement for one last big fight, 2006’s Rocky Balboa didn’t have the same political baggage as Last Blood and could be enjoyed without undermining the character.

The Rocky franchise has always been about determination, perseverance, and surpᴀssing everybody’s expectations, while the very existence of Rambo sequels drains its hero of meaning. As viewers, we love to watch Rocky get back in the ring, while seeing Rambo killing hordes of nameless foreigners feels hollow and sad.

Stallone has continued to keep Rocky’s legacy alive through his supporting role in the Creed franchise, where he acts as a father figure and mentor to his old rival’s son, Adonis. This formula would not work with Rambo, as having him train up a young protégé would merely perpetuate the cycle of violence and war.

Last Blood Wasn’t Necessarily Going To Be Stallone’s Last Rambo Movie

Despite its тιтle, Last Blood wasn’t envisioned as Stallone’s final Rambo movie, as he said at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival (via JoBlo) that he would be happy to reprise the role if the film was a success. However, the pushback against the racial insensitivities of Last Blood seemed to quash any plans he had for another sequel.

Stallone has been continually asked about the possibility of more Rambo movies and even joked in 2023 that Rambo 6 would have him fighting arthritis. The truth is that Stallone doesn’t need to reprise his role again, as this is a franchise that has been of diminishing returns ever since its first sequel.

That’s not to say that movies like First Blood: Part II are without merit, as it works incredibly well as an over-the-top action movie. It’s just that the heartfelt sincerity of the original meant that its status as an ongoing franchise never felt appropriate. Much like the misguided Rambo kids’ cartoon, the character is too politically complex for franchise treatment.

The Upcoming Rambo Reboot Is Now The Only Way To Save The Franchise

While Last Blood ended the franchise on a low note, there is one opportunity to turn things back around and reintroduce nuance into the Rambo series. This is through the long-festering prequel, which was officially announced in May 2025 (via Empire) and will serve as an origin story тιтled John Rambo.

With no involvement from Stallone, Sisu filmmaker Jalmari Helander is attached to direct, and Noah Centineo is set to star as a young Rambo. This is a release that could go either way, but if Helander’s previous film is anything to go by, he understands how to balance action and emotional intensity in a way that could please all viewers.

The problem with all the Rambo sequels was that they undid the character arc he went through in the first film, but a prequel will not have this problem. By going back and exploring how Rambo became traumatized in the first place, John Rambo has the potential to restore the character’s depth and reclaim the franchise’s original emotional weight.

Sources: JoBlo, Empire