“How can Stallone do that?”: Sylvester Stallone’s Major Change in Rocky 4 Director’s Cut Caused Mass Outrage

While Rocky 4 might not be anyone’s favorite movie from Sylvester Stallone’s iconic franchise, it certainly has its charm, with one of being Paulie’s Robot, Sico. Even though the presence of Sico might not sit well with the rest of the movie’s narrative, fans appreciate the heartwarming aspect it brings for Paulie’s character, after Rocky gifts Pauli the robot on his birthday.

Following fans’ love for this robot despite it being offbeat with the rest of the franchise, Stallone’s decision to cut Sico from the director’s cut of the film created a major controversy. This resulted in Sico’s creator coming forward to speculate the possible reasoning behind Stallone’s decision.

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Sico’s Creator Reflected on Sylvester Stallone Axing the Robot in the Director’s Cut

Voiced and created by Robert Doornick, Sico’s axing in the director cut of Rocky 4, which was released on the occasion of its 35th anniversary, came as a shocker to fans. While Stallone did come forward with an explanation, stating, “I don’t like the robot anymore”, the situation might be more intricate than it first appeared. Reflecting on the removal of Sico in the Director’s Cut, Robert Doornick speculated that the actor is trying to no longer pay Sico’s royalties, as he is a member of the Screen Actors Guild. The founder of International Robotics explained,

“I was in my office when I found out. I was deluged with messages, [saying] ‘How can Stallone do that?’ But I know why he’s doing it, because I know he loves the robot. By causing turmoil among the fans of Sico, it generates more publicity. And by removing the robot from the movie, it saves money in royalty fees, because he is a member of the Screen Actors Guild. Sico receives cheques all the time – and of course he sends them over to me.”

Another explanation that also seems plausible is Stallone’s want to keep the story more grounded, as he doesn’t want fans to be distracted from the overall narrative by Sico’s presence.

Also read: After Leaving Rocky and Rambo, 77-Year-Old Sylvester Stallone Finally Retiring from Last $789M Franchise? 6 Major Reasons That Has Fans Convinced Sly’s Quitting

Sylvester Stallone Opened Up About His One Regret in Rocky 4

While axing Sico from the director’s cut solved some of Sylvester Stallone‘s issues with the film, the actor still has one major regret from his highest-grossing Rocky film. One of the most gut-wrenching moments in the whole franchise occurs when Drago kills Apollo Creed in the middle of the ring, eventually pushing Rocky to take revenge. However, Stallone regrets killing Creed in the film, as he believes they could’ve done more with the character.

“It was foolish. I thought I needed that kind of springboard to project the drama on this really great powerful velocity forward… [If Apollo had survived], we would have seen a different side of him.” Stallone said.

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Despite not having Paulie’s robot in the mix, the director’s cut improves upon the theatrical cut’s shortcomings, adding more depth to Rocky’s bond with Apollo Creed.

Rocky IV: Rocky vs. Drago – The Ultimate Director’s Cut is available to rent on Apple TV.

Source: Empire Magazine