More than four decades after Sylvester Stallone introduced us to the action hero known as Rambo, we are getting a prequel film in this universe. According to Deadline, John Rambo will go back to the character’s days during the Vietnam War. It’s pretty clear that those events are a major part of what shaped this gun-toting protagonist, so we can’t wait to see what happens. This Rambo prequel film will star Noah Centineo, who is certainly an actor on an upward streak. He will also play Ken Masters in Legendary’s live-action Street Fighter movie.
Joining him is Yao, Jason Tobin, Quincy Isaiah, Jefferson White (Yellowstone), and Tayme Thapthimthong. We can assume that they are soldiers during the war who interact with Rambo.
Lionsgate is behind this film and production took place in Thailand. Jalmari Helander is set to direct the Rambo prequel film with Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani penning the script. Helander himself confirmed John Rambo’s active production status.
We now have a release date for John Rambo, which is June 4, 2027. It’s a smart time to hit theaters before things become hyper competitive with movies like Star Wars: Starfighter and Beyond the Spider-Verse.
Sylvester Stallone is behind the scenes as an executive producer. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t want to return to the role in some capacity. According to Deadline, Stallone revealed on The Playlist‘s Bingeworthy podcast that he once pitched an AI de-aged version of himself as a teenage Rambo. “Everyone thought I was crazy,” said Stallone. “AI is sophisticated enough to go through Saigon to see him at 18 years old and basically use the same image. So it isn’t as big a stretch.”
Well, that’s certainly an idea that we are glad stayed an idea. We will keep our eyes out for more information as it surfaces.
Originally published August 11, 2025.