Jackie Chan has adorned a number of different names and iconic characters throughout his time in the film industry. The vast number of roles that he has played, with some examples being The Karate Kid film series, the Rush Hour film series, Drunken Master, and the Kung Fu Panda series, have helped him establish himself as a truly exceptional actor and one that is respected by all in Hollywood. Being as successful as he is, it is only natural that there were projects that wanted him during his prime.
It would seem that one such project was Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo film series. It was revealed that the actor was supposed to be a part of the fourth film from the franchise. The production wanted him so desperately that they ended up rewriting, not only his character but the ending of the film as well. All this, only for him to not star in it.
Jackie Chan Was Going To Be A Part Of The Rambo Franchise
The time between Rambo III and Rambo IV was quite long, with the former being released in 1988 and the latter being released twenty years after this. The decision of this fourth film being made, however, was not a small decision, with the franchise working on this sequel for quite a lot of time. So much so, that there was conversation about Jackie Chan being a part of this in the early 2000s. According to Coming Attractions, via The Guardian, it was revealed that Miramax, the studio behind this project has been trying for something for a very long time.
It was revealed that they had been trying to get Chan to be a part of this series for a very long time. While they were unsuccessful with the first three parts, they did manage to grab his attention for the fourth part. Now that they had, it seemed like they were willing to do anything to maintain it and keep him interested in being a part of the film.
The Script Was Changed For Jackie Chan
Around this time, it was revealed that Jackie Chan was being persuaded to join the film, however, he took some issues with his character, which made him hesitant to join and prolong this process. Chan’s character in the film was supposed to be a drug dealer who turns good after meeting Rambo. While this sort of plot isn’t anything new, it would seem that Chan wasn’t happy with this direction. He was aware that a lot of young children watched him and looked up to him. Not wanting to be a bad example for them, he refused to play such a figure.
Another matter of concern for him was the fact that his character was to die at the end of the movie. When Chan spoke on this subject, he explained that the film was getting rewritten and he would wait and see what they came up with, then decide if he wanted to join this film. It would seem that the actor wasn’t satisfied as, though the film did come out eight years after this, Chan was nowhere to be seen in it.
