Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor

Sylvester Stallone may have waited 39 years for another shot at an Oscar for playing Rocky Balboa, but he came up empty-handed in his quest for gold.

Stallone was considered the favorite to win the best supporting actor award at Sunday night's Academy Awards, with both The Hollywood Reporter's awards analyst Scott Feinberg and chief film critic Todd McCarthy picking the actor, who reprised his role as Rocky Balboa in Creed, as the person who would and should win.

McCarthy said it was "impossible to deny him, " while Feinberg argued, "Not long ago, a Sylvester Stallone win would have been as unfathomable as Matthew McConaughey and Sandra Bullock wins once were, but voters love a great narrative. During the 39 years since his previous noms, for the first Rocky, he's made lots of crap, but he hung in there and in this film rose to the occasion. Expect him to win by a TKO over the other four nominees."

But Stallone lost out to Bridge of Spies' Mark Rylance.

Math-based Oscar prognosticator Ben Zauzmer, however, noted that Stallone was merely a slight frontrunner in the "closest race of the night, " noting that since Beasts of No Nation's Idris Elba won the SAG Award and wasn't nominated for the Oscar, there's "no clear favorite" looking solely at the math.

"Mark Rylance of Bridge of Spies built a last-minute case with his BAFTA victory, but Creed’s Sylvester Stallone picked up Golden Globe and Critics' Choice wins and those just barely give him the edge, " wrote Zauzmer. "Not to turn to a cliche, but this is still anyone’s Oscar."

Indeed, it turned out to be Rylance's.

Stallone previously beat out Rylance at the Golden Globes and won the Critics' Choice award for his work in Creed. And just last night, Stallone won a "redeemer" award from the Razzies, which had previously recognized him with several nominations.