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So, the plot of the film is mostly the same but the absence of Nikko is the more notable change as this film is not being made for kids. Miller and Dekker, knowing there was no way they were gonna beat out Super Mario Bros (hearing about the movie going into production during the sale to Sony) they argue instead to focus on the adult market, with Columbia agreeing to keep to the R-rated nature of RoboCop. The plot still focuses on RoboCop and the human resistance taking a last stand against OCP, but with a change due to the forced recasting. Rather than Peter Weller's Alex Murphy, Robert John Burke is introduced as Marcus Peters, an officer who accompanies Murphy on a routine patrol when the building they're raiding blows up, managing to kill Murphy as he takes the brunt of the damage.

Marcus ends up severely injured and OCP decides to make him the new RoboCop, launched as "RoboCop III" with a lot of comments made on him being the "new RoboCop" and the CEO especially dismissive of the "replacement RoboCop" throughout the film. The events for OmniConsumer are about the same, becoming partners with Japanese conglomerate Kanemitsu Corporation, with their specialized Otomo androids. Together, the companies seek to create a new Delta City by forcibly relocating and wiping out as many residents as possible, using the Otomo robots and OCP's Urban Rehabilitators. At first, Marcus is one of the leaders of the Rehabs, but after the death of Anne Lewis (Nancy Allen wanted out of the movie) by McDaggett, the new RoboCop is captured by the resistance, who manage to have the Fourth Directive deleting from his database. This allowed him to fight back against OCP's forces. The film was mainly criticized for its more shallow plot and reliance of explosive action setpieces to carry it to the running time, though many did give credit for Burke putting in the effort to portray Marcus as a man who had his humanity taken just to replace another weapon that OCP had lost. And for as shallow as the setpieces were, these included the battle between RoboCop and Otomo and an amazing fight between two ED-209s, one who had been reprogrammed by Dr. Lazarus to side with the resistance.

The other talking point of the film is the subtext weaved into the script. Many noted OCP's financial struggle and purchase by the Japanese Kanemitsu Corporation draws parallels to Orion's 1991 sale to Sony. Along with that, Marcus' story of being doubted by the OCP, Kanemitsu, the Rehabs and even the Resistance because he isn't the original RoboCop seemed to draw on both the production company's doubts over Burke in the role and a preemptive feeling of audience rejection. However, the audience took well enough to Burke's RoboCop, but the presence of Batman Returns meant that the film was only able to draw $50 million at the box office. However, this $50 million would mean a loss to Returns, putting it at $241 million worldwide, losing out its second-place spot to Super Mario Bros. and meaning it would also go third place in the domestic market, having only lost $15 million there, putting it at $147 million dollars, just below Home Alone

Along with that, Alien 3 also lost $25 million in the box office, putting it at $134 million. A step down from Aliens but enough to still allow another shot.

As for the RoboCop franchise, while RoboCop 3 broke even, Sony saw the franchise as having run its course in the world of film but is not ruling out the possibility of continuing on television in the near future. What has been made clear is that this is, for better or worse, the last RoboCop film.