Sylvester Stallone had a very different concept in mind for the Rambo prequel than the upcoming movie announced by Millennium Media in May.
The actor, who has portrayed the character John Rambo since the 1982 film First Blood and co-written the screenplays of all five films, recently revealed that he was working on a new Rambo project of his own before it was ultimately scrapped.
In a new interview with ScreenRant, Stallone explained that he wanted to use artificial intelligence to recreate his version of a younger Rambo, complete with a different backstory than what had already been established for him.
Sylvester Stallone as Rambo in 1982’s ‘First Blood’.
Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty
“I wanted to rewrite [the] history of the earlier Rambo because I wanted Rambo to be the nicest guy in the school, the valedictorian, the prom king, and all that stuff,” he told the outlet. “And when he goes to Vietnam, he thinks it’s going to be a three-week hit-and-run…”
Stallone continued, “And you see him being tortured and captured, his friends murdered, one thing after another, and [his] life in Saigon, and that’s how I became the way I became, but originally I was bon vivant — that kind of thing. And I thought, ‘We could do this with AI,’ but [we] procrastinated too long and they took it over.”
Considering how divisive the notion of using AI for films is in the entertainment industry at the moment, it’s probably wise that Stallone didn’t go through with his vision. AI was a prominent point of contention during the SAG-AFTRA strike in 2023, with one of the main issues being the technology generating and perpetuating actors’ likenesses. When SAG-AFTRA members who work on video games went on strike a year later, it was primarily over the use of AI.
Ultimately, Millennium Media decided to approach the Rambo prequel the old-fashioned way — by casting a younger star to portray the iconic hero.
In August, the production company announced that To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before heartthrob Noah Centineo is attached to star as the titular hero of the prequel film, John Rambo.
Sisu director Jalmari Helander is set to helm the project, with a script penned by Informer and Black Adam writing duo Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani. While specifics are being kept under wraps, the film will document the Vietnam War origins of a young Rambo during his time as an elite Green Beret in the U.S. Army.
Sylvester Stallone in 1988’s ‘Rambo III’; Noah Centineo in February 2025.
TriStar/Getty; Vivien Killilea/Getty
Created by David Morrell in the 1972 novel First Blood, Rambo became one of the most recognizable heroes in film history after the book was adapted into an action-packed blockbuster with Stallone in the lead role. The franchise sees Rambo — haunted by his time at war but equipped with superior military skills — using his expertise against corrupt police officers, crime syndicates, and enemy troops.
The first film spawned four sequels: Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), Rambo III (1988), Rambo (2008), and Rambo: Last Blood (2019). In the most recent installment, Rambo confronted his past, using his ruthless combat skills to exact revenge in one final mission. Altogether, the series has grossed upwards of $850 million. Stallone starred in every entry and directed the 2008 film.
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Despite his previous plans, Stallone holds no hard feelings against the upcoming Rambo prequel, telling ScreenRant, “I hope, you know, good luck.”
Filming for John Rambo is set to begin in January 2026.