Surprised they didn't go a different way...
Posted on 08/14/2025 10:51:36 AM PDT by nickcarraway
Actor Noah Centineo has been tapped to portray a young John Rambo in an upcoming prequel to the iconic action series. The project, titled John Rambo, will explore the character’s earlier years, with production expected to begin later this year in Thailand.
While the role was immortalized by Sylvester Stallone—whose portrayal defined the character and left an enduring mark on a generation of action fans—this new installment will tackle the question: can Rambo resonate without the actor who made him legendary?
Centineo, 29, first gained recognition on the Disney Channel show “Austin & Ally” before rising to prominence in Netflix’s popular “To All the Boys” romantic comedy series.
Most recently, he played rookie CIA lawyer Owen Hendricks in the spy drama “The Recruit”, which premiered in 2022. The series ended after two seasons earlier this year.
Centineo discusses “The Recruit’s” end and his next steps Speaking at the Los Angeles premiere of his film “Warfare,” Centineo addressed the show’s cancellation. He said Netflix had its own programming goals to meet and that the series no longer aligned with those needs.
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While he acknowledged disappointment, he expressed pride in the project and gratitude to the audience, noting it had developed a dedicated fan base.
In “The Recruit,” Centineo’s character became entangled in a high-stakes international conflict, marking a shift from his earlier comedic roles. His work in “Warfare,” directed by Alex Garland, further expanded his range. In the film, he played a gunner in a realistic depiction of an actual battle during the Iraq War.
Stallone’s legacy and absence from the prequel
Stallone brought John Rambo to the screen in five films: First Blood (1982), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), Rambo III (1988), Rambo (2008), and Rambo: Last Blood (2019). Reports indicate the veteran actor is not involved in the upcoming production but has been informed about Centineo’s casting.
Stallone’s most recent appearance was in “Alarum,” an action-thriller about two married spies, played by Scott Eastwood and Willa Fitzgerald, who are suspected of going rogue. The film was panned by critics, earning a 0 percent score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes — the lowest of Stallone’s career.
His previous low was the 2014 comedy-thriller “Reach Me”, which received 4 percent on. Other poorly rated films include the 2018 sequel “Escape Plan 2: Hades”, at a 7 percent rating, and the drama “Backtrace” the same year, with 9 percent.
Critical and audience reception of recent projects Audience response to “Alarum” was similarly poor, with a score of just 20 percent. Two other Stallone films have fared even worse with viewers: “Escape Plan: The Extractors” (2019) has a 22% favorable rating, and the previously mentioned “Hades” has a 7 rating.
Following the last U.S. presidential election, Stallone publicly voiced his support for Donald Trump, calling the president a mythical figure and describing his election victory as an achievement that no one else in the world could have accomplished.
Pass.
Does Hollywood not have even a single new idea?
His life before he became a psycho-killer?
Qu’est-ce que c’est ?
Really sad, but public education doesn't exactly encourage independent thought. This is the outcome, II, III, IV, V
If this turns into one of those “re-imagined for Today’s Audience” fiascos I’m out.
Doesn’t encourage imagination or creativity either - and that is really frightening.
Better run, run, run, run, run, run away....
I have Rambo, the first one and the last one he did. That’s it. Sequels by other people, meh. Just like the first Star Wars movie, the ending was great. Then came the nauseating sequel after sequel ....
Does Hollywood not have even a single new idea?
Just like there were some postings that we may be living a decline of civilization. We look to history for guidance.
It will be the same but different.
Wasn’t the second one the really big one?
Surprised they didn't go a different way...
Well yeah, it was okay. But being from a military family, the first Rambo one to me was the best.
Rambo without Stallone is NOT Rambo.
Hope it’s better than the star wars prequels.🤣
What about Brian Dennehy?
If memory serves, Noah Centineo was lined up a few years ago to play He Man in the next live action Masters of the Universe. The first one was played by Dolph Lundgren in the late 80’s.
They used to make much better stories out of basic human themes. As 1oldpro suggests, maybe because they had educations that encouraged deeper thought about the human condition in general.
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