Sylvester Stallone wants Andrew Garfield as the next big villain in Tulsa King
Sylvester Stallone has his eye on a surprising name for a Tulsa King appearance — and it’s not the one you’re expecting.
Right, so Sylvester Stallone isn’t just resting on his laurels from all those Rocky films – he’s now, somehow, thriving as a bona fide TV star in Tulsa King. And the bloke’s clearly loving it, with the show doing the sort of numbers that make execs dribble. Now, there’s fresh Stallone family involvement, a curious Andrew Garfield twist, and a sharp U-turn on that upcoming ‘I Play Rocky’ film making headlines.
For starters, Stallone’s managed to get his daughter, Scarlet Rose Stallone, on board for season 5 of Tulsa King. Either nepotism is alive and well, or she’s genuinely fit for the role, but you can’t say he’s not keeping it in the family. In any case, that’s if you can remember it’s season 5 already – blink and we’re half a decade in.
Tulsa King already heading into its fifth season, with Stallone’s own daughter set to appear.
About That Rocky Film
Now, there’s been a bit of drama swirling around I Play Rocky, the biopic about Stallone’s own Rocky journey, with actor Anthony Ippolito taking up the gloves. Stallone, at first, played his cards close to his chest, holding back opinion until he’d actually watched it – refreshing, honestly, as most actors are quick to clap themselves silly.
Turns out, he’s now completely behind it. He’s not just spoken up for the film, he’s even gone to the premiere alongside the rest of the cast and tipped Ippolito for Oscar glory. Stallone coming out not just in favour, but swinging hard for the film – that should put any worries about support to bed.
Andrew Garfield: Potential Villain?
Here’s where things get oddly interesting. Stallone revealed, in a chat with The Rest is Entertainment, that he’s unexpectedly hit it off with Andrew Garfield. Now, if you’re picturing those two sharing a pint, you’re not alone. Stallone admitted he didn’t expect they’d gel, but apparently they got on brilliantly. Here’s Stallone, speaking to the podcast:
Certain actors… quite often they’re standoffish. It’s just their nature to be solitary creatures, as a rule. But when they’re among themselves, things happen. I was with Andrew Garfield last night. I never thought we would hit it off, ever. I thought, boy, I’d love to have him as a villain in Tulsa King because it would create a whole different dynamic.
So, Stallone reckons Garfield would fit perfectly as a new sort of villain for Tulsa King – not a hulking goon this time, but something more cerebral, maybe even AI-driven. This might’ve been sparked by Garfield’s stint in that recent ChatGPT movie, Artificial. Stallone pointed out how much more interesting it’d be if Tulsa King’s next adversary wasn’t some ‘big, lumbering’ brute but a more thoughtful – possibly digital – mastermind. That’s not necessarily the direction anyone had on their bingo card, but it’s what Stallone’s cooking up at the minute.
Season Four and the Blood Factor
On the subject of the show itself, critics (well, one Alex Maidy anyway) gave Tulsa King’s fourth run a 7 out of 10. Not exactly awards territory, but still respectable, particularly if you like your TV with more blood than a butcher’s aprons. Apparently, this recent season leaned into the violence and gore more than before, even if it wasn’t as laugh-out-loud as the earlier years. If anything, Maidy reckons it might be one of the series’ strongest efforts yet – not bad for a show fronted by an 80-year-old Stallone still acting as hard as ever.