Legendary action star Sylvester Stallone regrets aspects of his 1980s action movie Cobra. Released in 1986, Cobra was directed by George P. Cosmatos and starred Stallone as a harsh street cop named Marion Cobretti, who must protect the lone surviving witness of the actions of a murderous cult. The action-thriller was panned by critics at the time and remains one of Stallone’s worst-rated films. Stallone even earned a Razzie nomination for Worst Actor.
Speaking at the Toronto International Film Festival as he promoted his documentary Sly (via JoBlo.com), Stallone reveals his lingering reflection over Cobra. Check out the video below:
To Stallone, Cobra “felt as though that’s something [he] should have directed.” Looking back now, the actor finds the movie “half-baked” and needs improvement. Check out the full quote from Stallone below:
“Cobra to me, was half-baked, I could have done better, but I wasn’t concentrating enough. I felt as though that’s something I should have directed, and I didn’t, and I regret that. That’s one thing about making movies, aside from watching your hairline recede, you go, ‘god, why didn’t I try harder?”
Cobra Could Have Expanded Stallone’s Directing Career
While Cobra received notably bad ratings, it was far from the only Stallone film to fare poorly with critics. Prior to his breakout role in Rocky, Stallone acted in a number of low-rated action movies, including Death Race 2000 and Capone. Cobra was, in some ways, a return to form for the actor.
By the time 1986 hit, however, Stallone had expanded his career far beyond just acting. While he did not direct Rocky, he wrote the Oscar-nominated screenplay for the sports drama, proving his behind-the-scenes prowess. Following the movie’s release, Stallone went on a directing spree, writing and directing Rocky II, Rocky III, and Rocky IV, along with Staying Alive in 1983. While not all of these films were critical darlings, Stallone did have an established directing career that he honed throughout the late ’70s and ’80s.
Whether Stallone’s directing would have saved Cobra remains at large. From looking at his filmography, it becomes clear that Stallone had the background it takes to direct the critically panned movie should he have been put in that role. Cobra was once rumored to be developed into a streaming TV series spinoff, which would have potentially given Stallone the opportunity to reinvent Cobra. With no news of that show’s development, however, it looks like Stallone will have to keep living with the regret of not directing the lackluster Cobra.
