Posted in: CBS, Preview, streaming, TV | Tagged: kansas city, paramount, qanon, sylvester stallone, taylor sheridan

Kansas City: Sylvester Stallone Looks to Clarify His "Q" Controversy

At the end of the day, we'll be curious to see if this was a more interesting week for Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone, Mayor of Kingstown, 1883) or Sylvester Stallone ("Rocky" & "Rambo" franchises), or if the whole thing will end up a big nothing. Earlier this week, it was reported that Stallone was in negotiations to lead Sheridan and Terence Winter's (The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire) upcoming Paramount+ mob drama Kansas City (more on that below). Definitely great news for Sheridan, who continues to grow as a television powerhouse while also apparently signing Stallone to his first series regular role. For Stallone, it could be yet another boost to his career by opening a new avenue for him to explore. And then that "Q" hat controversy started gaining some traction…

At the beginning of the month, Stallone took to Instagram to post a selfie while riding on a jet. But it was what he was wearing that caught a ton of attention- a blue baseball cap with a "Q"-like symbol and additional designs around it. Accompanying the image was the caption, "Heading into the Storm….As IN THUNDERSTORM!!! We are in a jet for god sake flying through the rain!" Needless to say, it caught folks' attention. For the "never-saw-a-conspiracy-theory-they-didn't-like" folks who buy their tinfoil in bulk otherwise known as QAnon, they saw this as a clear symbol of support. And it wasn't just the "Q" on Stallone's hat that they pointed to as proof, but also his use of "the storm" in his caption as being a coded message. Ironically enough, the anti-QAnon folks (otherwise known as the rest of us) were actually in agreement- except they did not see it as any reason to celebrate. Here's a look at Stallone's post:

And here's a screencap of the post just in case…

Four days and four unrelated posts later (otherwise known as this past Monday), Stallone would return to Instagram to address the controversy and deny that the "Q" stood for anything other than the name of the boat he was one, "Quantum of Solace." To prove his point, Stallone included a close-up image of someone wearing a shirt with the boat's name and in the same design style as Stallone's hat. "For those incredibly inquisitive individuals, let me state unequivocally that the Q on this hat stands for QUANTUM OF SOLACE, the name of the boat I was on, NOT anything else, ok? Relax…. So, folks, The moral of the story is…Enjoy your lives and let other people enjoy theirs … So Keep Punching," Stallone wrote in the caption accompanying his post (which you can check out below):

Stallone is reportedly in negotiations to star in and executive-produce Sheridan and Winter's newest project. Winter will serve as showrunner and a writers' room is open, with Winter, Sheridan & Stallone executive producing alongside David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, and Bob Yari of 101 Studios. 101 Studios, MTV Entertainment Studios, and Stallone & Braden Aftergood via Balboa Productions will also produce. Sheridan and Winter's Kansas City focuses on a New York City Italian mobster played by Stallone who is forced to relocate to the most unlikely of places—Kansas City, Missouri. Set in the present day, legendary mobster Sal (Stallone) is faced with the uphill task of reestablishing his Italian mafia family to the modernized, straight-shooting town of Kansas City, Missouri. There, Sal encounters surprising and unsuspecting characters who follow him along his unconventional path to power.

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