Jalmari Helander, director of the ‘Rambo’ prequel: “It will be a little more adventurous”

Sylvester Stallone will not reprise his iconic role as John Rambo in the upcoming prequel being developed by Jalmari Helander, the Finnish director behind the World War II action hit Sisu. Barring a last-minute twist, Stallone won’t be involved in the project at all.

Instead, Millennium Films is expected to confirm Noah Centineo as the new face of the legendary antihero. Helander has already teased some of his ideas for the film, which is still in early pre-production.

A different tone for Rambo

Helander says the prequel “won’t be as dark” as the last two installments of the franchise. His vision leans more toward adventure than pure grit:

“It will be a little more adventurous. I hope it inspires a new generation of 10-year-olds to go play in the woods like Rambo. We’ll see how it goes,” the director explained.

Back to the beginning

The film will explore Rambo’s origins during the brutal Vietnam War—an experience that shaped his psyche and transformed him into one of cinema’s most enduring action figures.

According to the official description, audiences will witness “the formative experiences that created one of the most memorable action heroes in movie history.”

Stallone’s abandoned prequel idea

Before this project moved forward, Stallone himself had toyed with the idea of a Rambo prequel. His plan was to portray a younger version of the character using AI technology. Helander, however, doesn’t believe current tech is advanced enough to convincingly sustain an entire feature film.

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