Every Sylvester Stallone Movie Franchise, Ranked From Worst To Best

Sylvester Stallone established a substantial Hollywood career primarily through franchises. Initially breaking into films with lesser-known projects, he aspired for greater creative control over his profession and penned a script for a sports drama. Persistently clinging to the script, he eventually secured the role of Rocky Balboa, thus launching his first franchise.

Ever since then, Stallone has taken on leading roles in two more extended series, including John Rambo and Barney Ross from The Expendables. Moreover, Stallone has made appearances in various other franchises, some of which he joined midway, as well as one that still represents a minor part of his career portfolio.

7. Escape Plan

Sylvester Stallone As Ray Breslin

In 2013, Sylvester Stallone launched a fresh franchise with the movie titled “Escape Plan.” This film gained notice due to the fact that it was the initial collaboration between Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger in leading roles. Unfortunately, Schwarzenegger only appeared in the first installment before leaving the series permanently.

In the movie, Sylvester Stallone portrays Ray Breslin, a specialist in testing prison security systems. However, during one of his tests, he gets trapped in a covert, heavily fortified prison. To make matters worse, his business associate deceives him and leaves him behind. Determined to escape, Ray allies with an inmate named Emil Rottmayer, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. They soon find out that the prison is not on land but on a moving ship.

Initially, the first movie was a hit, largely because of the collaboration between Stallone and Schwarzenegger. But for Escape Plan 2: Hades, it was just Stallone who came back, joined by Dave Bautista as his new partner. Unfortunately, that film didn’t do well at the box office. The third installment, Escape Plan: The Extractors, saw both Stallone and Bautista reappear, but this time it was released straight to DVD.

6. Spy Kids

Sylvester Stallone As The Toymaker

The film series Spy Kids, created by Robert Rodriguez, centers around a group of young spy protagonists on a mission to protect the planet. In the initial installment, which debuted in 2001, a brother-sister duo (played by Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara) discover that their parents (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino) were covert agents. When an evil mastermind abducts their guardians, the kids embark on a rescue operation to save them from danger.

In the second film, the duo of young protagonists took charge of the fresh Spy Kids team, collaborating with other gifted kids to protect the planet from monstrous creatures engineered by a competing group. Later on, action star Sylvester Stallone entered the scene in the third movie, “Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over”. Interestingly, this was a departure from his usual roles as he played the antagonist instead.

In this rephrased version, here’s how the sentence could be expressed: Stallone takes on the role of The Toymaker, a once-operative OSS agent who has turned into a villain. He developed a VR game named “Game Over,” and he’s warned that he plans to use it for global domination. The film also includes an entertaining portrayal by Ricardo Montalban as the children’s grandfather, a former OSS operative who has retired.

In a unique twist from typical Sylvester Stallone franchises, playing the antagonist offered an unprecedented experience. He fully embraced the role of an excessively flamboyant villain, resulting in one of the most entertaining extensions of the series.

5. The Suicide Squad

Sylvester Stallone As King Shark

As a passionate film enthusiast, I must admit that the entrance of Sylvester Stallone into the Suicide Squad universe felt quite reminiscent of the unexpected arrival of the new recruit in “Spy Kids”. You see, much like how he joined the team after its inception, Stallone stepped into the scene when the franchise was already thriving. In the second installment, he assumed a unique role, being the monstrous character among the squad – a part that had previously been filled by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s menacing Killer Croc in the first movie. And in “The Suicide Squad,” Stallone breathed life into King Shark – a chilling man-eating shark-human hybrid, adding another layer of intrigue to this unconventional team of anti-heroes.

In a subsequent move, Stallone joined the DC Universe, following in the footsteps of James Gunn with whom he collaborated in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His role here was significantly larger given that his character, King Shark, played a pivotal part in numerous action sequences. The opportunity to cause destruction was ever-present for him throughout the production process. Nevertheless, it’s important to clarify that King Shark was a digitally created character, and Stallone lent only his voice to the film’s portrayal of this character.

Since the release of The Suicide Squad, there have been significant transformations within the DC Universe, and at this point, it seems unlikely that Sylvester Stallone will reprise his role as King Shark for upcoming films set in James Gunn’s universe.

4. Guardians Of The Galaxy

Sylvester Stallone As Stakar Ogord

In the movie “The Suicide Squad,” Sylvester Stallone had a more prominent part, but his screen time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was featured in films that were both commercially and critically acclaimed, particularly “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Following the massive success of “Guardians of the Galaxy,” director James Gunn decided to include Stallone for a minor role in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.”

In Marvel Comics, the Guardians of the Galaxy is an established team that had no members from the movie series. Yet, director Gunn subtly acknowledged them through minor characters. Yondu and his Ravager comrade, Stakar Ogord, were part of the original team. Michael Douglas plays Stakar Ogord in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

In the second film, he played a minor character who appeared disrespectful towards Yondu, but later honored him after Yondu’s selfless act against Ego. Subsequently, Stallone reprised his small role in the third movie as well. Despite not having a significant part throughout the series, the combined earnings of these two movies surpassed $1.7 billion at the box office.

3. Expendables

Sylvester Stallone As Barney Ross

Back in 2010, I, as a devoted cinema enthusiast, witnessed Sylvester Stallone breathing new life into the classic action movie genre with “The Expendables.” Not only did he pen, direct, and grace the silver screen in this film, but he also gathered some of the most iconic action heroes from the ’80s and ’90s for an unforgettable reunion. To add to the excitement, he welcomed fresh action talent to join the party. The outcome was a series that has expanded to four movies so far.

In the first installment of the film, Sylvester Stallone portrays Barney Ross, head of a top-tier covert operations group. Here, he joins forces with Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Bruce Willis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger to confront an enemy army commanded by a renegade agent, Eric Roberts.

In his subsequent films, Stallone consistently attracted top-tier action talent, including stars like Chuck Norris, Liam Hemsworth, Scott Adkins, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Antonio Banderas, Wesley Snipes, Kellan Lutz, Ronda Rousey, Tony Jaa, and many others. As the franchise progressed, it appeared that every action movie enthusiast had a preferred star in the series.

Critics’ reviews for the movie series have generally been mediocre, but only the second film managed to surpass a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 50%. Yet, this film franchise is tailored for fans, and Sylvester Stallone had a clear vision when he initiated this saga.

2. Rambo

Sylvester Stallone As John Rambo

Following the triumph of the Rocky series, Sylvester Stallone took on another sequel, and it could well be one of the strangest storylines ever told. The initial film is adapted from David Morrell’s novel, First Blood, where Rambo appears as a veteran soldier returning home, who is then brutally confronted by a small-town law enforcement officer.

The initial movie presents a grim narrative depicting the reception Americans give to soldiers upon their return from war. Remarkably, this first film garnered an impressive revenue of $125.2 million against a production budget of merely $15 million, paving the way for the franchise’s inception. However, the subsequent two films took a drastically different turn.

In “Rambo: First Blood Part II,” the American government frees Rambo from prison and tasks him with venturing back to Vietnam to locate any remaining prisoners of war. They instruct him to find them, but not to save them. However, when he disobeys this command and saves them instead, the U.S. government leaves him behind, forcing him to battle his way out by himself.

The third film deviates significantly from the original’s theme of veteran rights, instead transforming into an exhilarating, action-packed tribute to American patriotism, as Rambo ventures into Afghanistan to save his old commander from the formidable Soviet forces.

By 2008, the story shifted back to Earth with the character Rambo, who was residing in Burma at this point, leading a band of mercenaries to save some Christian missionaries that had been seized by a local military unit. In the end, in “Rambo: Last Blood,” an aged and retired Rambo takes action to rescue his adopted niece after she is taken captive by a ruthless Mexican drug cartel.

In simpler terms, among Sylvester Stallone’s franchises, this one is his second most popular and well-received by fans. To clarify, the initial film stands as a true work of art, while the subsequent two are more typical ’80s action films. However, the quality improves in the third, and the fourth appears to be placing John Rambo in a contemporary revenge storyline.

1. Rocky

Sylvester Stallone As Rocky Balboa

Without a doubt, the most iconic Sylvester Stallone series is undeniably Rocky. It was this franchise that catapulted Stallone to stardom in Hollywood. The narrative is compelling, with Stallone himself penning the script for Rocky. Remarkably, he refused to part with his script unless he could play the lead role. Eventually, he found a studio that agreed to his terms, and the success of the film has since become legendary.

In the initial film, the character Rocky Balboa, who was previously an underdog boxer, receives an opportunity to face off against the world champion, Apollo Creed (played by Carl Weathers). The most captivating aspect of that debut movie is that Rocky suffers a defeat, yet manages to project an image of victory in the end. However, as the story progresses, things seem less plausible, as Rocky manages to defeat Apollo in the sequel.

As a die-hard movie enthusiast, let me share my perspective on the Rocky saga. In the third installment, I witnessed Rocky squaring off against a ruthless brute named Mr. T. The fourth movie took it up a notch with him boxing a near invincible beast, Dolph Lundgren. These flicks were adored by audiences, but then the franchise seemed to take a hit when Rocky trained his protege, Tommy Gunn, in the following film, which turned out to be the lowest-grossing movie in the series.

After a gap of 16 years, the release of “Rocky Balboa” revived the essence of the original film and provided a fitting conclusion for the boxer. Notably, this series created by Sylvester Stallone deserves extra praise as it led to the creation of “Creed,” where Rocky reappeared to mentor Apollo Creed’s son, who was trying to break free from his father’s shadow.

Sources: The Numbers

2025-07-06 22:39