Sylvester Stallone says he once pitched a radically different kind of Rambo prequel—one that would have used AI to put him back in the role as a teenager and reframed John Rambo’s origin story long before he became the hardened veteran audiences know.
In interviews discussing the idea, Stallone explained that his version of a prequel would have started with Rambo as the “nicest guy” in school: a high-achieving, popular kid—essentially a prom-king, valedictorian type and, as he put it, a “bon vivant.”
The dramatic engine, in Stallone’s telling, was the contrast: that bright, socially confident young man would then be reshaped by the brutality of war, with Vietnam serving as the turning point that produces the Rambo seen in First Blood and the later films.
The unusual hook wasn’t just the characterization—it was the filmmaking method. Stallone said he envisioned the project as an AI-driven experiment that would digitally “de-age” him to play the younger Rambo himself, rather than casting a new actor for the role. He acknowledged the pitch was met with skepticism, describing the reaction as basically interesting, but too out there for a studio-backed franchise move.
His comments land at a moment when Hollywood is still debating where AI belongs in filmmaking—especially when it comes to replicating or altering an actor’s likeness. Stallone framed his proposal as a creative tool to tell a “before the war” story with continuity of performance, but the concept also sits squarely inside the ethical and industry concerns that have made AI and digital replicas so contentious.
In the meantime, the franchise is moving forward with a more conventional prequel approach. Reporting indicates the new film will star Noah Centineo as a young Rambo and be directed by Jalmari Helander, with a screenplay by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani, and production expected to begin in January 2026.
Stallone has said he supports the project even though it isn’t his version, while also noting how difficult it is for any actor to step into such an iconic role.
What Stallone’s shelved concept reveals most clearly is how he still thinks about Rambo as a tragedy first, action icon second: a character defined by who he was before trauma, and what that trauma took away.
Whether the upcoming prequel leans into that same emotional contrast—or goes for a more straightforward combat origin—will likely determine whether it feels like an essential new chapter or simply an extension of a familiar brand.
