Rambo: Last Blood marked the end of an era for Sylvester Stallone’s iconic character, John Rambo. The fifth and final installment of the action-packed franchise saw Rambo trying to live a quiet life on his family ranch, only to be thrust back into the dangerous world of violence and revenge when his goddaughter goes missing.

As Rambo embarks on a perilous journey to find and rescue her, he discovers a network of white slavers and must use his combat skills one last time to take them down. However, this plot almost took a very different turn.

According to Screen Rant, an early script for Rambo: Last Blood had John Rambo facing off against a genetically-modified creature similar to the Yautja, or Predator, from the popular sci-fi franchise.

The creature would have brought a horror and science-fiction element to the film, taking it far from the grounded, realistic script that was ultimately used.

Although the idea of Rambo fighting a Predator-like monster may have been exciting to some fans, comparisons to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Predator would have been inevitable.

In the end, the filmmakers opted for a more realistic and character-driven story that stayed true to the Rambo franchise.

Despite mixed reviews, Rambo: Last Blood provided a satisfying conclusion to the long-running franchise, and fans can only wonder what could have been with the scrapped sci-fi script. What are your thoughts on this alternate plotline?

Would you have preferred to see John Rambo fighting a sci-fi monster, or did you prefer the more grounded approach of the final film? Let us know in the comments below.

Discover Stallone’s Best! Eager to delve into the roles that immortalized Sylvester Stallone? Traverse the transformational phases of his career with our detailed review on the “Greatest Sylvester Stallone Films from Rocky to Rambo.”