Friendship Stronger Than Muscles: The Truth Behind the End of the 30-Year "War" Between Schwarzenegger and Stallone

© Michael Schilling / Wikimedia Commons

1. "Fuel Named Hostility" Born in the Golden Age

The 1977 Golden Globe Awards. Stallone, who misunderstood Schwarzenegger's laughter when he was nominated for the New Star of the Year award, threw a vase in anger—this episode is later considered the "prologue" of the rivalry both men would talk about.en.wikipedia.org.

Entering the 1980s, the two, carrying the banners of "Rocky/Rambo" and "Terminator/Predator," were conscious of outdoing each other with "bigger guns," "higher body counts," and "thicker arms." The media also fueled the rivalry, with magazines featuring comparison articles and comments mocking each other. Stallone knocked out a Schwarzenegger-lookalike prisoner in "Tango & Cash," and Schwarzenegger pointed at a Rambo poster in "Twins" to boast about the muscle difference—these "meta-joke battles" thrilled audiences at the time, but it is said that genuine hatred was swirling in the hearts of the parties involved.

2. "Planet Hollywood" and the Fateful Call

The turning point came in 1991. A mutual lawyer suggested to Schwarzenegger, who was trying to launch the restaurant chain "Planet Hollywood," "Why not include Sly (Stallone) as a partner?"

"It was the best idea. I intuitively felt that business creates friendship," Schwarzenegger recalls on SiriusXM's "Radio Andy."sportskeeda.com.
The moment they stood shoulder to shoulder at shareholder meetings rather than on the red carpet, the lens reflecting each other shifted its focus from "rivals" to "partners." The "Silver Screen Avengers," including Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, appeared in stores worldwide, and the shared interests of joint investment became a "disarmament" ceremony.

3. SNS Reflects the "Core of Friendship"

Photos Speak of Friendship
In May 2024, when the movie account @ATRightMovies posted a three-shot from 1991, retweets flooded in with comments like "I've been waiting for this smile" and "80's kids rejoice."

Hashtag #SlyAndArnie

Immediately after the interview, thousands of positive tweets in both Japanese and English appeared on X (formerly Twitter), with comments like "Heroes as enemies, heroes as friends" and "Planet Hollywood was the best collaboration project ever." Especially among movie fans, the unexpectedness of "men who speak with muscles reconciling through business" struck a chord, leading to the creation of a new tag, "#BroTank."

4. The Chemical Reaction Brought by Co-starring

With each co-starring in "The Expendables 2," "3," and "Escape Plan," the friendship that grew behind the screen accelerated the chemistry of the works. Schwarzenegger stated on the program, "Maturity was necessary. We needed to get past the madness of our 20s and understand the value of cooperation."nypost.com. Stallone has also stated in past interviews, "I won't be in 'The Expendables' without Arnold," showing that their mutual presence is a source of motivation.vanityfair.com.

5. Cultural and Economic Impact

Although both legends were considered to have passed their peak in the late '90s, after reconciling, they gained new market value as symbols of "Legend Solidarity." Planet Hollywood's stock rose 400% at one point during its 1997 IPO (though it later plummeted), and their collaborative films stimulated nostalgia and achieved stable box office results. Now, they are analyzed in Hollywood business books as a "model case for leveraging legendary IP."

6. Fans Deciphering the "Rivalry Story"

• Bridging Generations: Many voices describe it as a "rare relationship where parents and children can talk about the same hero," and fan videos on YouTube compiling their famous scenes together have surpassed 10 million views.

• Mental Health Context: Counselors' posts that overlap the lesson "hatred can be healed with dialogue and time" have gone viral, and the conflict→reconciliation story is being consumed in a self-help manner.

• Business/Career Theory: On LinkedIn, it is cited as an example of "expanding the market by teaming up with the strongest competitor," and simplified materials for MBA case studies have circulated.

7. Future Prospects—The Legacy Continues

With the release of Netflix's 'FUBAR' Season 2, Schwarzenegger is once again in the spotlight. Meanwhile, Stallone is also active in screenwriting and production. If their schedules align, a spin-off project rumored to be 'The Expendables 4.5' is said to be in progress, and the consensus in the film industry is that "their collaborations are not over."

References & Citations

• Sportskeeda article "Why did Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone feud? ..."sportskeeda.com

• New York Post interview excerpt "We hated each other..." (2025/6/19)nypost.com

• Wikipedia "Schwarzenegger–Stallone rivalry" and other historical backgroundsen.wikipedia.org

• 1991 photo tweet (@ATRightMovies)twitter.com

• Supplementary reports from The Daily Beast, Men’s Journal, etc.thedailybeast.commensjournal.com