John Rambo was just an innocent drifter and former Vietnam POW passing through a small mountain town, minding his own business until the local police tried to cut his hair. And now, Rambo—Sylvester Stallone’s take-no-prisoners mortal Avenger with a penchant for leaving the bodies of tyrannical authority figures in his wake—may be making a return to the small screen in a new series for FOX. The show, now in development, currently carries the title Rambo: New Blood, and has Stallone attached as an executive producer.

Rambo: New Blood will center around “the complex relationship between Rambo and his son, J.R., an ex-Navy SEAL.” And, for those of you who don’t remember J.R. Rambo from any of the four feature films, that’s because he’s a brand new character, likely to be just as ripped, ruthless, and resentful of authority as good ol’ dad. While this sounds like an awesome way to reignite the world of Rambo, it does posit two very interesting and difficult casting questions: who’s going to play J.R.? And who will dare to play Rambo if not Stallone himself?!

While Stallone is attached as an executive producer, there’s no word yet of whether he’ll actually act in the series. This would be a tough pill to swallow however, as it’s hard to imagine finding somebody to replace Stallone’s iconic grit and Italian bravado—this man is no Expendable! (Editor’s Note: way to grab the low-hanging fruit, Matt.) Besides, Stallone, even at 69 years old, is still an entertainment juggernaut and on-screen badass. Not only did he play Rambo in the most recent 2008 film, he also leads the elite Expendables franchise, and of course, reprised his role as Rocky in the recently released Creed (check out our review of it here).

But, if Stallone does indeed need to be replaced, there are some A-level names floating around as possible successors. Stallone himself suggested that Ryan Gosling could make a worthy Rambo. What do you think about the idea of a new Rambo series? Does a father-son duo of merciless ex-military men battling for justice make your Sylvy senses tingle?

Is there anybody who could ever possibly replace Stallone as Rambo? Let us know in the comments section below!

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HT:  A.V. Club
Image: Orion Pictures