The action film franchise Rambo is set to be rebooted soon with a whole new creative team behind it, and a new actor playing the iconic character. Noah Centineo, of Black Adam and The Recruit fame, will embody the Vietnam War vet in the upcoming prequel John Rambo, which will explore the origins of the multi-skilled soldier. While he had some ideas to keep control of Rambo, Sylvester Stallone will pass the baton to a new generation, and for the first time in the franchise’s history, he won’t be as involved in the Rambo-verse. Fans were waiting for his reaction to the new casting announcement, and now the Rocky star has talked about the new actor in charge of playing John Rambo: “It’s going to be quite a challenge.”
Stallone talked to Entertainment Tonight while promoting the release of Season 3 of his series Tulsa King. During the interview, he was asked about Centineo’s casting in the film that’s set to be directed by Sisu director Jalmari Helander. The Demolition Man star has always given life to the war veteran, and for the first time, Rambo will be played by a different actor. This is what Stallone said:
“I don’t know much about the young man, but it’s going to be quite a challenge…I think it could be fantastic, I really do, if they hit all the marks.
“I always thought of Rambo as very, highly popular. He was captain of the football team, he was getting straight A’s. I mean, he was just that kind of guy, valedictorian. And then the war broke him down and turned him into this havoc machine, suffering from PTSD. I wanted to see that evolution of, ‘I can’t wait to go to war. This is going to be fun. This’ll be over in three weeks.'”
Does ‘Rambo’ Fit Into Modern Times?
Lionsgate
The upcoming prequel will follow the events prior to those depicted in First Blood, the first film in the series. Decades have passed since the first time we saw Stallone portraying the Vietnam War veteran trying to defeat hunters out to get him in the middle of the mountains. Not only did numerous sequels continue the journey of the character, but the veteran fully evolved as a character. The last time we saw him in Rambo: Last Blood, he was fighting a Mexican cartel to save his niece, and he did so in a wildly violent film that didn’t do well in theaters and was heavily criticized for various reasons.
Bringing back John Rambo is a risky move for the owners of the franchise. Vigilante films tend to do well among action fans, but part of the appeal of the Rambo universe had to do with Stallone’s involvement and the visceral action style he always pushed for. The new Rambo arrives in politically correct times, and an industry divided over patriotic values. John Rambo, the movie as well as the character, will face a challenge when trying to capture the same spirit that made the original movies so popular and timeless.
Release Date
January 25, 2008
Runtime
92 minutes
Producers
Avi Lerner, John Thompson, Kevin King Templeton