Rambo Prequel Confirms Cast and Major Update

The Rambo franchise is one of the most popular action films of the '80s. However, forty years later, it will receive a prequel.

Dubbed John Rambo, the prequel movie was announced in May 2025. The first announcement was Jalmari Helander, who would serve as a director, and later added Noah Centineo as the titular character. Although filming was expected to kick off late last year, John Rambo is now officially in production in Bangkok, Thailand.

The production update also came with an exciting announcement: it confirmed five additional cast members. Yao (Sinners), Jason Tobin (A Thousand Blows), Quincy Isaiah (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty), Jefferson White (Yellowstone), and Tayme Thapthimthong (The White Lotus).

The film promises "John Rambo takes audiences back, years before the events of First Blood, diving deep into the roots and experiences that forged one of the big screen’s most enduring and complex characters."

Following the original announcement, Jalmari Helander, known for directing Sisu and its sequel, Sisu: Road to Revenge, shared, "I have been the biggest fan of Rambo since the age of 11. It is so surreal to be in a situation where I can actually make my own Rambo movie."

He continued, "The chain of events that got me here makes, in a fantastic way, my whole childhood make sense. I can’t wait to bring the greatest action hero back to the big screen where he belongs." Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani are penning the script.

In a new statement, the filmmaker shared that watching the movie at 11, "changed my life. Rambo wasn't just a film to me — it stayed with me growing up and was a defining influence on why I wanted to become a filmmaker."

tallone is not set to reprise his role, although the actor has shown an interest. In September, he admitted he pitched himself to play a younger Rambo. "Everyone thought I was crazy," Stallone said about his idea. "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 a big stretch."

Noah Centineo Is Tackling Multiple Beloved Franchises

The actor is set to become one of the biggest action heroes. He made his debut as a Disney and Nickelodeon star, and later became a romantic hero thanks to the franchise To All the Boys, 2018's Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, and 2019's The Perfect Date. In the 2020s, he switched to a more action-packed environment.

He played Atom Smasher in the superhero film Black Adam, and took the lead role in the Netflix spy series The Recruit. Despite positive reviews, the show was canceled after two seasons. However, Centineo has multiple exciting roles ahead.

Aside from becoming Rambo, Centineo stars in Paramount and Legendary’s Street Fighter. The live-action adaptation revealed the first teaser at the Game Awards. It will also star Andrew Koji, Callina Liang, Joe "Roman Reigns" Anoa'i as Akuma, David Dastmalchian as M. Bison, Cody Rhodes as Guile, Andrew Schulz as Dan Hibiki, Eric Andre as Don Sauvage, Vidyut Jammwal as Dhalsim, and feature appearances from Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson as Balrog and Jason Momoa as Blanka.