A Forgotten Jason Statham Action Movie Was Originally A Rambo Sequel

Jason Statham and Sylvester Stallone have been friends and collaborators for years, most famously working together on the "Expendables" movies, in which they play co-protagonists and leaders of the titular mercenary team. While Statham is a seasoned veteran of the action genre these days at 58 years old, he's still a full two decades younger than Stallone, and the pair have always had a sort of big-brother-little-brother dynamic when they share the screen.

Perhaps it's not surprising, then, that Statham came sort of close to stepping into one of Stallone's two most iconic roles. The British actor's 2013 action flick "Homefront" was written by Stallone and came out just a few years after the first "Expendables." The movie was at one point conceived to be a "Rambo" film, with Stallone once again playing the role of the grizzled military commando.

That film would have been a good deal different than the one we got, as "Homefront" is based on a Chuck Logan novel with its own characters and setup. It's likely that things pivoted relatively early in the process, with Stallone then handing off the leading role to Statham. For his part, Statham was very deferential about the legacy role, telling Yahoo during a press tour for "Homefront" that had the part still been Rambo when Stallone had come to him with it, he likely would have said no on principle.

"I could never be Rambo, if he was offering me Rambo I'd turn it down," Statham declared. "I could not fill those boots. He's too good at what he does."

To be clear, there was no version of history in which Jason Statham was legitimately considered for the role of John Rambo, and you can probably figure out why on aesthetics alone. Put simply, Rambo ain't Rambo without that luscious mane, and Statham ain't Statham without that British twang. While not terribly successful either critically or financially, "Homefront" was met with a decent reception overall — the kind of mid-level, reliable action flick that both Stallone and Statham have built their careers on.

"The Expendables" and "Homefront" aren't the only collaborations between the two actors. Most recently, Statham starred in the 2025 action movie "A Working Man," which was co-written by Stallone and David Ayer. This duo, which has become sort of iconic in the genre over the last 15 years, is still going strong, even as Stallone's age forces him to step back more and more from on-screen roles.

It's also worth noting that while "Homefront" did not become a "Rambo" movie, its plot is notably similar to the one from 2019's "Rambo: "Last Blood." Both feature a retired protagonist of capable combat skill living a quiet life with their daughter (or in Rambo's case, daughter figure). They then get pulled back into action when that daughter is kidnapped. There are a lot of differences, to be sure, but you can see that certain plot beats must have been consistent in Stallone's head for years leading up to his fifth appearance as the character.

Jason Statham may have said back in 2013 that Stallone's Rambo shoes are impossible to fill, but in the modern age of the unkillable IP, anything is possible. Millennium films, the studio that currently owns the "Rambo" license (and which produced "Homefront"), was recently reported to be working on a "Rambo" prequel movie starring Noah Centineo, the rising star most famous for his part in Netflix's "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" series.

The new film is being directed by Finnish filmmaker Jalmari Helander, who's made his own mark on the "military veteran forced to lay the pain down on a group of violent scumbags" genre with "Sisu" and "Sisu 2." And while that pedigree is a good sign, there are a lot of questions about the ability to revitalize the "Rambo" franchise for the modern age. Replacing Stallone is of course a dicey proposition, even with a promising young star, and the thematic nature of "Rambo" makes a prequel even more questionable in 2025.

Jason Statham may have had the right perspective in trying to steer clear of the whole recasting business. Instead, he's built an impressive resume with his open brand of action movies, and his continued collaborations with Stallone have remained fun for longtime fans of the genre.