Dan Slott, the writer of The Amazing Spider-Man comic, has met many famous people. One memorable experience involved having dinner with David Morrell, the author of First Blood (the book that inspired Rambo). Slott didn’t realize who Morrell was at the time, and years later, he still often thinks about that surprising encounter.
Marvel writer Dan Slott recently shared a story on Threads about a dinner he had with several prominent authors, including Peter David, Brian Reed, Mike Carey, and David Morrell (author of First Blood). Morrell recounted the experience of adapting Rambo from his novel into a film. Apparently, Morrell’s agent strongly advocated for him throughout the process, even though Morrell himself initially resisted many of the changes.
David Morrell originally hoped to write the script for FIRST BLOOD, but the studio preferred their own writers. Though Morrell’s agent agreed to let them handle it, he did manage to secure a clause stating that Morrell would get the first opportunity to write the screenplay for any follow-up movie. Morrell was surprised by this, pointing out that his story ended with Rambo’s death. His agent dismissed his concern, confidently assuring him that he knew what he was doing.
Looking back, it’s easy to see Rambo exploded into a massive five-film series, benefiting everyone involved – especially Sylvester Stallone. But honestly, Robert Morrell, the original author, might not have seen a dime from all that success if it weren’t for a really proactive agent. As I understand it, this agent was key in securing future opportunities for Morrell, and that’s according to Slott…
The author’s agent insisted on getting a percentage of any potential merchandise, even from something as dark as a Rambo action figure or cartoon series. The author protested, pointing out the character was a troubled Vietnam veteran who died in the story. But the agent dismissed his concerns, confidently saying, ‘I know what I’m doing.’ It’s easy to see how that conversation went – the agent pushed for the deal anyway. The author often reflects on how fortunate he was to have such a determined representative.
Dan Slott often shares his thoughts on Spider-Man, but I appreciate him sharing this story about a Hollywood agent – it reminds me of the movie Rambo. Some people have a big impact on your life, even if it’s just for a short time, and this agent clearly helped his client earn a lot of money.
Without his manager advocating for things like merchandise and follow-up projects, he probably wouldn’t have been involved in those decisions, and he could have lost out on significant earnings – something that unfortunately happens often in the comic book world. Thankfully, his agent protected his interests, and that made all the difference.
The original Rambo film spawned four sequels, most recently Rambo: Last Blood, and a huge amount of merchandise. It’s good to hear the film’s creator benefited financially from its success.
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2026-01-02 21:08