Stallone’s Superhero Movie Gets a Second Chance Despite Negative Reviews

Irrespective of the bad reviews, a sequel to Samaritan is reportedly in the works. 

Samaritan tells the story of a young boy, Sam who discovers that the titular superhero of the film, who is believed to have died years ago, is still alive. The film was released on Amazon Prime Video in August 2022. 

As per THR, MGM and Amazon are in talks for a sequel to Samaritan, a year after its release. The sequel will feature Stallone reprising his role as the titular superhero. A deal with the actor was signed before the SAG-AFTRA strike itself. The script will be written by Bragi F. Schut, who also helmed the first film. 

Given the bad reviews the first film received from critics, it is surprising to see a sequel to Samaritan in development. The film was intended to be a dark interpretation of the superhero genre, much like the Prime Video series The Boys. 

However, critics felt that the film could not separate itself from the substandard DC and Marvel films and did not make its point very clear. The reviews were disappointing, with a 38% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Although critics thrashed the film, it appealed to the audience. The film ranked as the most-watched film on Amazon Prime Video for three consecutive weeks. Moreover, fans praised Stallone’s performance along with the fresh and unique take of the film on the superhero genre. 

Therefore, the film getting a sequel makes sense from the commercial perspective. Moreover, now that the team is aware of the critical aspects and the constructive criticism that the film got, there is room for improvement when it comes to the sequel. 

About Samaritan

Samaritan is an American superhero film directed by Julius Avery and written by Bragi F. Schut. The film is a darker take on the superhero genre and released on Prime Video on August 26, 2022.

The action fantasy film follows Sam Cleary, a young and curious boy, who discovers that a superhero who went missing 25 years ago may still be around in stealth mode.

The film stars Sylvester Stallone, Javon Walton, Martin Starr, Moises Arias, Dascha Polanco, Natacha Karam, and Jared Odrick.