Sylvester Stallone doesn't have many comic book movie credits, but here are his thoughts on playing characters like The Punisher or Batman.
Here are Sylvester Stallone's thoughts on ever playing comic book characters like Batman or The Punisher. Stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone largely dominated the action genre during the 1980s. The pair have since admitted they were locked in a bitter feud during this period, with both trying to constantly outdo the other in terms of physique, body count or box office. Arnold had defining hits such as Predator and The Terminator, while Stallone had his franchises like Rocky and Rambo
The game changed, somewhat, due to the success of Batman in 1989. Not only did Tim Burton's blockbuster prove there was money to be made in comic book movies, but Stallone has since mused that Michael Keaton being able to wear fake muscles provided less physical actors with the ability to become action heroes regardless. Stallone himself has largely steered clear from the genre, outside of notable exceptions like Judge Dredd or a small role in the likes of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2.
During the casting search for Richard Donner's Superman, Stallone was also briefly considered for the title role. It now appears very unlikely he will ever head a comic book movie franchise, but over the years he's mulled on the prospect. In 2010, he took part in a series of fan Q&As for AICN and gave his thoughts on playing either The Punisher or Batman. In one AICN session, some fans asked for his response to Frank Miller stating he'd like to see Stallone play the older Batman seen in Miller's seminal graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns. Stallone responded: