Samaritan Image Reveals First Look At Sylvester Stallone Superhero Movie

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Sylvester Stallone is a long-lost superhero in a new first look image from Samaritan. Way before comic book movies came to rule Hollywood, action vehicles featuring the likes Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger were at the top of the heap when it came to blockbuster entertainment.

Stallone of course got his start in the relatively low-budget and grounded Rocky, but he soon took off as an action hero in increasingly absurd vehicles like the Rambo series, Cobra and Demolition Man. It wasn’t until his appearance in 1995’s Judge Dredd that Stallone entered the realm of comic book movies proper, but obviously that particular film was a major disappointment. The star would manage to avoid being swept up by the comic book tidal wave that hit with the arrival of the MCU, preferring to focus on more nostalgic action vehicles like The Expendables, until finally giving in and taking a small role in 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Having had a taste of life in the realm of superheroes, Stallone is ready to bite off a much bigger chunk in his upcoming movie Samaritan, which casts the veteran action star as a once-famous superhero who is presumed dead until a young boy in need of a father figure tracks him down. Thanks to Total Film, fans can now catch their first glimpse of Stallone in full-on grizzled old superhero mode. See the image in the space below:

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The single image features Stallone as Samaritan doing very superhero-like business in a tunnel, where something incredibly dangerous appears to be unfolding. Very little is actually known about the movie but director Julius Avery promises it features Stallone getting into the middle of plenty of action. “We’re going to see Sly do things he hasn’t done in a long time, and in a really inventive way,” Avery told Total Film. An obvious Stallone fan, Avery said actors like Sly were the superheroes of the ‘80s and says putting him in a true superhero movie is something that “feels fresh and cool and something that people will get a kick out of.”

Indeed Stallone still has plenty of fans in 2021, as evidenced by the enduring popularity of his Rocky character, who has transitioned into becoming a supporting player in the on-going Creed series. However, there’s evidence to suggest that old school Stallone is no longer a hit with audiences overall, after Rambo: Last Blood somewhat disappointed at the box office. Perhaps the slow performance of Last Blood is part of why Stallone has decided to jump on the superhero bandwagon in his own way for Samaritan. The movie definitely sounds like an appropriate vehicle for Stallone at this time in his career, with its obvious echoes of Logan. And of course, Stallone is set to follow up Samaritan with an appearance in another comic book movie, James Gunn's The Suicide Squad. It remains to be seen if Stallone's embracing of the new comic book dominated reality leads to a memorable last chapter for his storied career, or ends up as a mere footnote.

Samaritan is set for release on June 4, 2021.