Stallone Refuses Replacement for Iconic Actor in Action Saga, Dead 22 Years!

Richard Crenna enjoyed a diverse and lengthy career, transitioning from the star of the sitcom The Real McCoys to war movies like The Sand Pebbles and Hollywood thrillers such as Wait Until Dark, and even a French detective film, Un Flic. However, one of his most iconic roles was Colonel Sam Trautman, the mentor of John Rambo, played by Sylvester Stallone, in the legendary saga.

According to ScreenRant, initially, several actors were considered for the leading roles in the first film: Steve McQueen or Al Pacino for Rambo, and Kirk Douglas for Trautman. Douglas left the project due to disagreements over the script, and ultimately, Richard Crenna stepped into the role, bringing humanity to a character who was harsher in the novel, where he even ends up killing Rambo.

Crenna first appeared in the debut film, where his character assists the local police overwhelmed by the violence of the former soldier. In Rambo: First Blood Part II, he visits Rambo in prison to offer him a shot at redemption: to return to the field and rescue prisoners of war in Vietnam. In Rambo III, it’s Rambo who rescues Trautman, captured by the Soviets in Afghanistan, and the movie ends with the two friends escaping together. However, when the saga returned to the big screen years later, in 2008 with Rambo, the colonel is absent—and his absence is never explicitly explained.

Implicit Farewells and Unwavering Loyalty

Although he appears briefly in flashbacks, the movie does not take time to explain his disappearance, but the message is clear. Richard Crenna, having passed away in 2003, five years before the release of the film (which was dedicated to him), his character is regarded as having vanished with him. According to Esquire, Stallone himself confirmed this decision: “The character died with Crenna in 2003.” When James Brolin was considered to take over the role, Stallone categorically refused.

James Brolin could have then portrayed another character named Ed Bumgardener who existed in an early draft of the Rambo screenplay, taking over Trautman’s role. Bumgardener, a mysterious government official, was supposed to warn Rambo of the political risks associated with a mission in Burma, before later helping him organize a rescue. This cynical yet honorable character was ultimately removed from the film, although some of his dialogue was given to another character, the mercenary leader Lewis. Sylvester Stallone had also considered a scene where Rambo visited Trautman’s grave, but it was never included.

Nonetheless, for Stallone, Crenna was Trautman, and one could not exist without the other. Thus, the iconic character did not appear in the latest installment, Rambo: Last Blood, in 2019.

The first three Rambo films are available on OCS. As for Rambo, you can watch it on Prime Video and Netflix. Rambo: Last Blood, the latest installment, is also available on Prime Video. All are available for VOD as well.