According to rumors, Sylvester Stallone’s 43-year wait for his DC debut was caused by his co-star in Al Pacino’s The Godfather.

Sylvester Stallone, a great actor most recognized for his roles in violent movies, built an excellent career on stage. However, his commitment to action films also kept him away from a number of high-profile, big-budget blockbuster films. Stallone talked about why he avoided superhero movies and revealed how he once tried out for the role of Superman.

Sylvester Stallone acknowledged that he had passed on a couple DC movie opportunities since he had previously failed to wow filmmakers and producers with his acting abilities. Stallone ultimately found his way into Marvel and made his debut in DC, though, as time went on.

Nearly made his DC debut was Sylvester Stallone Around the 1970s

Sylvester Stallone entered Hollywood and quickly rose to become one of the most famous veteran actors by producing action and drama films. The actor, who has been in the entertainment industry for decades, has delivered some noteworthy performances and won prestigious accolades. He didn’t succeed in getting a well-known superhero movie to launch his career during his prime years, though.

Sylvester Stallone, although being an action hero, was never given the chance to take part in the Capped Crusaders universe. The actor did, however, previously come very close to joining the DC universe. In the 1970s, Stallone was a candidate for the part of Superman after the success of his film Rocky. He even made an appearance at the Man of Steel audition, but Richard Donner, the director, was unimpressed.

Marlon Brando, the actor who played Jor-El in Superman, is another factor that cost him his chance. Evidently, because of his sensitive tough guy role in Rocky, Stallone was frequently likened to Brando. The Superman star apparently didn’t want anyone who might steal his thunder because of this. The Rambo actor was thus turned down for the position, which later caused him to realize “several films I missed out on and wished I’d done”.

Sylvester Stallone entered the world of superhero films.

The seasoned action hero eventually found his way into the superhero universe, defeating all odds and taking his time. While Sylvester Stallone had previously failed to win over director Richard Donner, James Gunn seemed to make the right choice in selecting him. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Stallone collaborated with Gunn for Marvel Studios and played Stakar Ogord, a former Ravager associate of Yondu.

After giving an outstanding performance in the MCU, Stallone secured his next contract with DC, and the actor stated that he will play King Shark in the 2021 film The Suicide Squad. Again working with Gunn, the seasoned action star created memorable scenes. Despite having his chance to be a superhero earlier taken away, the actor eventually found his way into comic book movies.

Sylvester Stallone won his third superhero movie, Samaritan (2022), following his success with MCU and DC films. Stallone dominated the silver screen with his talents and terrifying clashes against his enemies while portraying the mystery legend Joe Smith, who is actually a superhero who went missing decades ago.