New Rambo Movie Promises a Lighter Tone After Stallone's Last Two Dark Outings
Rambo is back—this time as an origin story. Director Jalmari Helander’s prequel will delve into John Rambo’s beginnings and promises a lighter tone than the last two Sylvester Stallone films.
A new Rambo is coming, but not the way you might expect: it is a prequel, it is lighter on the doom and gloom, and yes, the director literally hopes it makes kids want to play Rambo in the woods. That is not a sentence I thought I would write in 2025.
So, what is this Rambo prequel?
Jalmari Helander, the filmmaker behind the buzzy action movie Sisu, is steering a fresh take on John Rambo that goes back to the character’s beginnings. He told Dexerto he is exploring Rambo’s early years and Vietnam War experience, setting this story before 1982’s First Blood. The big swing is the tone: Helander wants this one more adventurous and less bleak than the last few entries.
"It won’t be as dark as the last two Rambos... It’s going to be a little more adventurous, and I hope to inspire a new generation of 10-year-olds to go into the forest to play Rambo. Let’s see how that goes."
That is a notable pivot given the last two films. Rambo (2008) dragged the character into a brutal rescue mission in Burma, and 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood sent him into a vengeance-fueled war on the Mexican border. This time, the goal is less grim carnage, more formative adventure.
Where things stand right now
- Timeline: It is a prequel set before First Blood (1982), digging into what shaped Rambo during the Vietnam War.
- Tone: Helander says it will be more adventurous and not as dark as the 2008 and 2019 films.
- Casting: Noah Centineo is reportedly in final negotiations to play young John Rambo.
- Production: In October, Helander said he was heading to Bangkok for hard prep.
- Start date: Filming is reportedly targeting January 2026.
- Release: No date yet.
It is an intriguing call to both rethink Rambo and pitch him to a new generation. Whether audiences are ready for a less scorched-earth version of this character is the question — but if Helander can thread that needle, this could be the first Rambo movie in ages that surprises people for reasons other than sheer body count.