Sylvester Stallone steps aside as Rambo’s origins finally hit big screen

Hollywood legend Sylvester Stallone’s iconic action hero John Rambo is back, but not quite as you know him. 

Director Jalmari Helander has kicked off production on a prequel, John Rambo, in Bangkok, and promises it will be “stripped down, raw and real.”

The film stars teen heartthrob Noah Centineo as a young Rambo, charting his harrowing time in Vietnam with the Green Berets. 

Helander, a lifelong fan of First Blood, says the movie is “a survival story about endurance, persistence and lost innocence,” giving audiences a gritty look at how the war shaped the legendary soldier.

The 79-year-old actor who played Rambo across five films, had long dreamed of exploring the character’s origins himself, even flirting with using AI to de-age himself for the role. 

In a recent interview, he revealed his vision that Rambo as a high-school golden boy, before the horrors of Vietnam turned him into the tough, silent warrior we know.

While AI plans fell through, Stallone had his eye on a potential Rambo successor.

Ryan Gosling, the Barbie star and self-confessed franchise fan, was tipped as a possible heir: 

“If I ever pass the baton, I’ll pass it to him because he loves the character,” Stallone said.

The new cast also includes Yao, Jason Tobin, Quincy Isaiah, Jefferson White, and Tayme Thapthimthong. 

With Centineo in the lead and Helander promising a raw, emotional take, this prequel could redefine Rambo for a whole new generation.

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