Sylvester Stallone: The MCU Is This Generation’s Hero Mythology
Sylvester Stallone has now spoken about what inspired him to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, nine years after the franchise began with Jon Favreau’s Iron Man. Looking back on it all now, it’s awe-inspiring to see what Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios have achieved with their ambitious, unprecedented take on comic book movies. What started out as nothing more than promises, has turned into one of the greatest Hollywood success stories in history, with Marvel dominating the box office year in and year out, with their newest releases. That pattern only looks to continue this year, when the studio unleashes Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Thor: Ragnarok upon the world.
One doesn’t have to look much further than the cast lists for each of the Marvel Studios films, to truly understand what the studio has achieved over the past nine years either. With each new film, the ensembles for their projects only become increasingly more impressive, as more and more iconic, critically-acclaimed actors agree to join the MCU, most of whom comic book fans might never have quite thought would. But there’s one veteran actor, who’s making his MCU debut next month, that isn’t really surprised by any of it.
That man is Sylvester Stallone, one of the several big names set to appear in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the highly-anticipated follow-up to the beloved 2014 film. The identity of Stallone’s character has only just now been revealed, and Marvel fans are already giddy with excitement over it, and not only because of the film’s sly nod to Tango & Cash. During a recent press conference for Vol. 2 as well (H/T Inside the Magic), Stallone talked about what it was like coming onboard the project, and why he thinks the Marvel films are like this generation’s versions of the classic, Joseph Campbell-esque hero stories:
Quote:
“Early on in my career I became fascinated with mythology. Joseph Campbell’s “Hero with a Thousand Faces,” and so on and so forth. When I started doing “Rambo,” [I came to understand] there’s an evolution that takes place. Every generation has to find itself, define its own heroes, define its own mythology. And [the MCU] is this generation’s– and maybe even the next generation’s– mythology. And when Kevin invited me on board I said, ‘This is interesting because I haven’t gone here. I’m kind of Earth-bound. I’m terrestrial. This is something that takes place in a whole other sphere where James and the Marvel people have created their own world, their own reality.”
So I said, ‘Yeah, let me visit. Let me drop in here and see what’s up, where the future is going.’ And it was great. It got me out of the house [away] from my three daughters. And that’s why I gave them my salary back.”
Stallone isn’t wrong with his statements here, and he’s not the only person to say something along these lines over the past few years. But considering that Stallone himself has had his fair share of experience playing iconic, beloved cinematic heroes throughout his career – from Rocky to Rambo – it only further illustrates just what Marvel has managed to do with their films. They’re not just movies for longtime comic book readers anymore, but films that it feels like everyone needs to see, that have become part of the everyday pop culture conversation.
While Stallone appears to be content to just be a part of the ride, even as a small supporting role in Vol. 2, there have been rumors and talks of him coming back again in one of the future MCU films, much to the joy and excitement of fans everywhere. Whether or not that ends up coming in to fruition will have to wait to be seen, of course, but after spending nine years already at the top of the Hollywood food chain, Marvel certainly doesn’t show any signs of taking a few steps down from their place anytime soon.
[Screen Rant]
