EXCLUSIVE: Rocky Decision — Sylvester Stallone Slammed for Casting Disgraced James Franco in New 'Rambo' Flick
Sylvester Stallone faces criticism for casting James Franco in the new 'Rambo' film.
July 24 2026, Published 6:00 a.m. ET
Superstar Sylvester Stallone is committed to helping James Franco kickstart his Hollywood comeback – nearly eight years after the beleaguered actor was hit with sexual misconduct claims that made him a pariah – and has recruited the Disaster Artist star for a role in his Rambo film franchise, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Sly, 80, is serving as an executive producer for the upcoming John Rambo, a prequel to the movie series that kicked off when he first starred as the Vietnam vet in 1982's First Blood.
Franco's Casting Sparks Fresh Controversy
Sylvester Stallone cast James Franco as a villain in the upcoming 'John Rambo' prequel.
Franco, 48, has landed a role as a villain in the new flick, joining Noah Centineo as the title hero and David Harbour as commanding officer Major Trautman, sources said.
"Casting James in this new Rambo movie is a risk, but Sly has built his entire career on making counterintuitive choices that pay off big down the road," an insider said.
"He listens to his gut, and he acts accordingly. What Sly hasn't factored in is how disliked James still is among certain people in Hollywood, even James' powerful former friends like Seth Rogen."
Filmmaker Rogen publicly distanced himself from Pineapple Express costar Franco after five women – including four gals who had been Franco's acting students – accused him of sexually inappropriate behavior in 2018.
Past Allegations Still Shadow Franco
Seth Rogen distanced himself from Franco after multiple women accused the actor of sexually inappropriate behavior in 2018.
Two of the aspiring actresses filed a sexual misconduct lawsuit against Franco, which he later settled for a reported $2.2million.
Franco denied the career-rattling accusations – but in 2021 said: "Over the course of my teaching, I did sleep with students, and that was wrong."
According to the insider, Franco "still has a ton of enemies."
Stallone Bets Fans Won't Care
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Franco said in 2021, 'Over the course of my teaching, I did sleep with students, and that was wrong.'
But the source pointed out: "This movie is not being made for the Hollywood in-crowd. It's being made for the generations of Rambo fans who want to see a fresh adventure with the character, and Sly's bet is that they won't care about the cloud of scandal that has followed James for the last several years.
"Plus, James continues to maintain that he got a raw deal and the allegations are false. Sly is simply taking him on his word and backing that up by giving him a real shot at redemption."
