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Sylvester Stallone has been a part of numerous major projects throughout his nearly five-and-a-half decades-long (and counting) star-studded career, building his own iconic public image through his genius writing and even better acting and fighting chops. If anything, it’s commendable how he is now a part of some of the biggest franchises of all time.
While his ownRamboandRockyfranchises continue to leave an indelible mark on fans’ hearts as significant contributors to his current net worth of a whopping $400 million (perMARCA), another major saga he has been a part of is theGuardians of the Galaxy(GOTG) franchise from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
As unexpected as his casting in the saga was, it worked out just fine as he seemed to perfectly bring to life Stakar Ogord aka Starhawk in two of the flicks from the film series. But the surprising part is that for his first appearance as the respective character – which was a cameo – inGOTG Vol. 2, Stallone decided not to take any paycheck home.
Though unbelievable it may be, it’s only true, as the actor himself admitted. And it wasn’t done without a wholesome reason either. Thus, here’s all you need to know about just why Sylvester Stallone decided to return his salary for James Gunn’s secondGOTGfilm, along with tidbits on how he became a part of the saga in the first place. Dig in!
The real reason why Sylvester Stallone returned hisGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2paycheck
Although it is not known what lucrative salarySylvester Stallonemanaged to secure for himself when he was originally cast for a cameo role as Starhawk inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, it is known that the actor reportedly decidednotto take home that paycheck. Apparently, it was all because it brought him into a new, creative environment, away from his daily life.
In an interview withInside the Magic, theRambostar confessed the same as he teased about his experience of working on the movie, even for a cameo role:
I said, ‘Yeah, let me visit. Let me drop in here and see what’s up, where the future is going.’ And it was great. It got me out of the house [away] from my three daughters. And that’s why I gave them my salary back.
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That said, he also added just how much he enjoyed being a part of the saga. If anything, he perfectly embraced the evolving landscape of storytelling and the enduring power of superheroes in the entertainment industry as he lent his star power to the lore. He continued to share just how interesting his experience of working on the saga was, saying:
Actually, it was pretty painless. It was interesting because I love [Marvel] films, but I haven’t ventured into the genre, so it was quite an experience. When I walked on the set, [I saw] robots and things, a woman who was seven feet tall, and everything else. I thought, ‘This is great. This is a great vacation. It’s better than being up a tree in Burma,’ you know what I mean?
Well, becoming a part of this particular superhero universe most certainly took Stallone away from his otherwise thrilling action-packed life and projects, the way he has been doing since hisRamboandRockydays. Perhaps that explains just how he managed to deliver such an epic performance as a comic book character despite being a first-timerin the MCU.
How Sylvester Stallone became a part of theGOTGlore
While his decision to turn down his paycheck for his cameo role inGOTG Vol. 2is one thing, the truth is that it actually didn’t take a lot of convincing to bring Sylvester Stallone on board to embody Stakar Ogord aka Starhawk. If anything, even Marvel Studios presidentKevin Feigewas left speechless when he realized just how excited the actor was to join the saga.
In an interview withVulture, Feige shared his reaction to the same while talking aboutThe Expendablesstar. He said, “This is a man who’s bright and has achieved almost everything there is to achieve in Hollywood, and he’s talking about how excited he is to be a part of Marvel and see something new. It’s surreal and very cool of him to say.”
Additionally, in the beginning, Stallone wasn’t signed onto one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s lucrative multi-movie contracts. Feige explained,
When we shot our very first tag with Sam Jackson in Iron Man, we didn’t have a deal with him for any other pictures. It was just a fun thing we asked him to come to, with the thought of, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if we could do more down the line?’ They all understood what we’re trying to do.
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The same went for the general sentiment with Stallone as well, who seemed to simply be gladto be a part of the major superhero universein the first place. And, of course, he earned himself a greater role going forward as well, as his character found a place inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3too.
For those unversed, Stakar Ogord is the Ravager pirate captain who is also the founder of the Stakar Ravager Clan. His relationship with Yondu was rather peculiar as he saved him from a life of slavery and welcomed him to the Ravagers, but things took a turn downhill as he was later forced to exile him for engaging in child trafficking – something that violated the Ravager code.
Then, as seen through Stallone’s cameo performance inGOTG Vol. 2, when Stakar realizes that Yondu (Michael Rooker) actually sacrificed his life to save Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) from Ego (Kurt Russell), Ogord honored his former friend with a Ravager funeral. And Stallone, for one, did a truly epic job at bringing this character to life.
Meanwhile, Sylvester Stallone had some choicest of words for the MCU
On the one hand, while it’s truly surprising that Sylvester Stallone was so excited to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe despite already being one of the most successful actors of all time, it becomes rather understandable while acknowledging the choicest words the actor had to say about the franchise in the first place while explaining how appealing it all felt to him.
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That said, when he realized that he had the chance to become a part of a universe that he considered to be this – and the next – generation’s mythology, theSamaritanactor didn’t hesitate even for a second to say yes.He continuedto share his reaction to being called for the same, saying:
When Kevin invited me on board I said, ‘This is interesting because I haven’t gone here. I’m kind of Earth-bound. I’m terrestrial. This is something that takes place in a whole other sphere where James and the Marvel people have created their own world, their own reality. So I said, ‘Yeah, let me visit. Let me drop in here and see what’s up, where the future is going.’
All of this being said, it’s inevitable that Sylvester Stallone actually really enjoyed himself to the core while being a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact, from what it seems like, he, maybe, even considered himself lucky enough to earn this very opportunity, considering how he even returned his first cameo paycheck from this one ofJames Gunn‘s saga!
The Guardians of the Galaxy film series can currently be streamed on Disney+.
Mahin Sultan
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2478
Mahin Sultan is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, where she brings a fresh perspective to entertainment news. Having been in the field for over 3 years now, she has already written more than 2,000 articles across a variety of niches, from entertainment to health and fashion. This diverse experience has allowed her to quickly build a solid foundation and a deep understanding of the industry.
