How Sylvester Stallone really felt about Rambo becoming a children’s comic – TVLine

In the ’80s, almost everything became children’s cartoons, including R-rated action heroes like John Rambo. And few people were more unhappy about this than Sylvester Stallone.

Eventually becoming the star of “Tulsa King,” he headlined and co-wrote the 1982 adaptation of “First Blood,” directed by David Morrell. The film is a harrowing story about a Vietnam veteran who is pushed to the limit by a small-town sheriff and his henchmen before fighting back with escalating violence.

Unlike the novel, Rambo survived the events of the film, allowing Stallone to return in 1985’s Rambo: First Blood Part II. The following year, the animated series Rambo: The Force of Freedom premiered, and Stallone made no secret of his feelings about it.

Stallone told the Chicago Tribune in 1986, “They’re going to do a Saturday morning cartoon show for kids. It’s said to be a soft version of Rambo doing his good deeds.” “First of all, that’s not Rambo. [importantly]they say they can’t stop it because it’s not me. [they’re] use; it’s similar to the character I played, but I don’t own it. ”

Stallone was even more adamantly opposed to Rambo action figures being sold to children.

“It’s not for kids,” Stallone said. “This movie was not meant for small children, and I would never let my children play with a toy like that. What more can I say? I’m so embarrassed. This movie has caused people to think and say horrible things about me.”

Sylvester Stallone’s opposition to Rambo: The Power of Freedom ironically puts him on the same side of an organization accused of trying to censor violent entertainment. Advocates for quality children’s television, already exasperated by the constant bickering and product promotions of “He-Man” and “G.I. Joe,” did not buy into the concept of “Rambo” as a cartoon.

“I don’t think they knew they were going to take that movie and turn it into a toy for children and a hero for children,” Peggy Charen, president of the nonprofit Action for Children’s Television, told The New York Times. “The problem with ‘Rambo’ as a doll is that it’s a doll for children, whereas the movie…is for adults.”

Unlike “GI Joe,” “Rambo” featured the use of real weapons but avoided depicting life-threatening injuries. Similar to “GI Joe,” this series had its own terrorist organization to fight. SAVAGE, aka Revenge, Anarchy, and World Extortion Specialist Administrator. The show also had some extreme action scenes, such as Rambo disarming a missile while riding on it.

Neil Ross, a frequent voice actor for films such as “G.I. Joe” and “Voltron,” played a less tortured version of Rambo, bringing along young engineer Edward “Turbo” Hayes (voiced by “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” actor James Avery) and master of disguise Katherine Ann “KAT” Taylor (Mona Marshall).

Although the series’ initial tone was more grounded than some of its animated contemporaries, the show gradually featured more fantastical plots and villains.

The first five episodes of Rambo: The Power of Freedom premiered in April 1986, and the remaining 60 episodes of Season 1 began airing on September 15, 1986. According to head writer Mike Chain, the show’s early ratings success ultimately attracted the wrong kind of attention.

“ABC was afraid of death threats and people talking about violence on children’s television and elsewhere,” Cheyne told Topless Robot. “I didn’t want ‘Rambo’ to have a negative impact on children’s psyches. I wanted the show to create positive role models and teach morals. Every episode had a moral.”

“Rambo” did not continue after the first episode was completed. According to a subsequent report in the Hartford Courant, Coleco spent $15 million making “Rambo: The Force of Freedom,” an investment that was barely recouped.

Despite these challenges, Sylvester Stallone went on to make three more “Rambo” movies. In early 2026, production began on a “Rambo” origin movie led by “The Recruit” star Noah Centineo.