Per THR, David Harbour (Stranger Things) is set to join Noah Centineo (Street Fighter) in John Rambo, the prequel to Sylvester Stallone’s iconic action franchise. He will play a key role in the film as Major Trautman, Rambo’s commanding officer. Richard Crenna played the role in the original Rambo trilogy.

John Rambo

The prequel is directed by Jalmari Helander, best known for the Sisu movies, and is based on a script by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani.

It takes place before the events of First Blood, with Rambo fighting in the Vietnam War. Helander has teased that this will be a different Rambo than the one we’ve come to know. “Of course, it’s different, because we’re gonna start in a place where everything is basically pretty okay for Rambo,” he said. “He’s happy and younger and all that, because we are telling the origin story. What would happen to him? Why did he become that kind of dude that we’ve all seen in First Blood? So it’s different.“

Stallone is Involved

Although he won’t be playing the title role, Stallone has boarded the prequel as an executive producer. “Sylvester Stallone knows the character of John Rambo better than anyone, and Lionsgate has had the good fortune of partnering with Sly for more than 20 years on this legendary IP,” said Lionsgate’s Adam Fogelson. “His participation is the final, critical piece to John Rambo, and we’re thrilled to have his involvement.“

The Rambo Franchise

Released in 1982, First Blood introduced the world to Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo. The first film is darker, moodier, and surprisingly tender, a far cry from the bullet-soaked sequels that followed. Stallone returned for Rambo: First Blood Part II, Rambo III, Rambo, and Rambo: Last Blood, meaning audiences have never seen anyone else in the role. So now the big question is whether Centineo can pull it off, especially since modern remakes of ’80s action icons usually crash and burn.

A 4K release with all five movies is on the way, which even includes a brand-new extended cut of Last Blood. It will be released on May 27.

What do you think of David Harbour playing Major Trautman in John Rambo?