Director Jalmari Helander (Sisu) may have found his leading man for the upcoming John Rambo prequel. According to Deadline, Noah Centineo (The Recruit) is in talks to star as a young Rambo in the action film.
Plot details are being kept under wraps, but John Rambo will centre on the character’s youth as a Green Beret recruit during the Vietnam War, exploring his experiences in the war and the trauma that set him on his path in the original First Blood film, where he was played by Sylvester Stallone.
Rambo has been one of the most iconic action heroes in cinema, first debuting in the First Blood novel by David Morrell and having five films, all starring Stallone, developed since 1982. John Rambo will mark the sixth feature film in the franchise from a script written by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani.
John Rambo will begin production in Thailand in early 2026. It will be produced by Millennium Media and likely Lionsgate after the latter studio produced 2008’s Rambo and 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood.
Centineo is known for roles in various young adult series such as The Fosters and the To All The Boys I’ve Loved trilogy, but has been starring in more action and dramatic-oriented productions with Netflix’s The Recruit, A24’s Warfare and the upcoming Street Fighter live-action film.
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Originally published August 12, 2025. Updated August 13, 2025.
