Sylvester Stallone has built a legendary career on action archetypes, from the inspirational underdog in Rocky to the hard-hitting team in The Expendables. Given the dominance of caped crusaders in modern cinema, it was inevitable Stallone would enter the superhero genre.

While many recognize Stallone from his appearances as Stakar Ogord in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy or his voice work as King Shark in The Suicide Squad, he delivered a distinctly gritty hero in Prime Video's Samaritan.

The Setting and Premise of Granite City

The film is set in the fictional metropolis of Granite City, a place once safeguarded by the hero known only as Samaritan. Following a destructive confrontation with his sibling, Nemesis, Samaritan vanished from public view.

This absence allowed crime rates in Granite City to soar to unprecedented levels. Teenagers like Sam Cleary were forced into gang involvement simply to survive the harsh environment.

The Discovery of a Hidden Hero

Sam Cleary's life changes when he is rescued from imminent danger by his neighbor, Joe Smith. Smith exhibits powers strikingly similar to those attributed to Samaritan, leading Sam to believe Joe is the retired hero.

Sam desperately tries to convince Joe to resume his heroic mantle, especially after the local gang leader, Cyrus, obtains Nemesis's hammer. Despite a lukewarm critical reception, Samaritan contains narrative elements that make it worthy of viewing.

A Subversive Approach to Superpowers

Samaritan stood out because, initially, it was not adapted from existing comic book material. Screenwriter Bragi F. Schut first developed the concept as a spec script, which was later acquired by Stallone’s Balboa Productions and subsequently adapted into a comic series.

Director Julius Avery and Schut aimed for a different interpretation of Joe Smith's abilities. While Smith possesses immense strength and a potent healing factor allowing him to recover from severe injuries, the healing process itself is depicted as graphically gruesome.

The Physical Toll of Heroism

Furthermore, Smith's powers place a significant strain on his body, causing his internal temperature to rise and heavily impacting his heart. This makes him far from invincible, contrasting with characters like Superman or Wolverine.

Interestingly, this was not Avery’s first foray into deconstructing the superhero mythos. After the success of Overlord, Avery was linked to direct The Heavy, described as a subversive superhero film, though that project did not materialize.

Production Hurdles and a Promising Future

While Samaritan faced criticism regarding its narrative structure, particularly its major plot twist, its biggest challenge was scheduling. The movie was initially slated for a late 2020 theatrical debut but faced repeated release date changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on production.

Ultimately, the film premiered on Prime Video following Amazon's acquisition of MGM in 2022. Critics widely agreed that Stallone himself was a highlight, imbuing Joe Smith with deep regret and a genuine desire for world betterment, rather than just physical confrontation.

Director Julius Avery explained his casting choice, noting that growing up, Stallone represented the closest thing to a superhero available. He felt placing Stallone in a true superhero role would feel "fresh and cool."

This approach appears successful, as a sequel to Samaritan was confirmed in 2023. Bragi F. Schut is set to return to write, with Stallone reprising his roles as both star and producer. Despite its flaws, Samaritan possesses an intriguing core concept and showcases some of Stallone's finest recent work.