# In 1977, Sylvester Stallone wanted one of cinema’s most famous roles. He would have been the worst possible choice

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1977-sylvester-stallone-wanted-one-of-cinemas-most-famous-roles-he-would-have-been-the-worst-possible-choice/
- Published: 2026-10-27T02:30:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-27T03:38:49+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/sylvester-stallone-absolutely-wanted-one-of-1970s-most-iconic-roles/
- Topics: Americas, Entertainment, Film, World

## Key points

- Stallone wanted to play Superman after *Rocky*.
- Donner and Salkind felt he was miscast.
- He also missed out on roles in *The Godfather* and *Star Wars*.

## Summary

Sylvester Stallone pursued the title role in Richard Donner’s 1978 film *Superman* after the success of *Rocky*, but director Donner and producer Ilya Salkind concluded he was wrong for the part. The story matters as a reminder that a major star’s momentum does not always make them suited to a particular role.

Stallone met the filmmakers in early 1977, when the producers were considering established names and Donner favoured a less familiar actor. Salkind later recalled that Stallone was keen but did not fit the character, while Donner said he met him under pressure from the producers. Stallone had also unsuccessfully auditioned for *The Godfather* and *Star Wars*.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.