Sylvester Stallone’s Most Unexpected Role Ever: Prepping His Cardio for Swimming!

Sylvester Stallone is no stranger to the superhero world. The actor had previously made a notable appearance in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” directed by James Gunn. But in 2021, their new collaboration on “The Suicide Squad” — a follow-up and reboot of the 2016 movie — turned out in a way no one expected. Recruited by DC Comics to play a super-villain, Stallone was instead cast as a giant shark.

King Shark, a Blend of Raw Power and Simplicity

The actor lent his voice to King Shark, a well-known figure in the DC comics, sometimes an ally, sometimes a foe depending on the story. This meta-human combines the features of a shark – formidable jaws, nearly indestructible skin, immense strength – with human-like behavior. In James Gunn’s adaptation, the character becomes a recurring source of humor: portrayed as not very smart, yet he remains a fearsome fighter, capable of tearing apart anyone who crosses his path – to the point that his own Suicide Squad teammates openly mistrust him.

How James Gunn Persuaded Stallone

In an interview with BFMTV, the actor admitted he knew nothing about King Shark when James Gunn offered him the role. However, Gunn didn’t need to push hard to change his mind, as Stallone recalls: “I did my research, and I found it quite interesting. I accepted his offer. I told him, ‘I’m going to train, I’ll get my cardio ready to swim well for playing the shark.’“

An Experience Unlike Any Other

Far from the physical demands of his iconic roles, this project felt like a breath of fresh air for the actor: “When you play the characters I usually do, it’s exhausting, it’s very physical. After four or five weeks, I’ve had enough, I wonder why I’m doing this. (…) With King Shark, I didn’t want it to stop. It was a lot of fun.“

He even went further, humorously finding a resemblance between himself and his character: “That’s how I am at home! I’m a big dumb shark – that’s how my daughters see me!“

Given this enthusiasm, another collaboration between Sylvester Stallone and James Gunn seems quite likely. Gunn has since been tasked by DC Comics with completely relaunching the studio’s superhero universe, a new era that he himself kicked off by directing the Superman movie in 2025.

HBO Max subscribers can (re)discover The Suicide Squad directly on the platform.

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