Sylvester Stallone Hands Over Iconic Rambo Role to 29-Year-Old Up-and-Coming Actor originally appeared on Parade.
To this very day, Sylvester Stallone remains permanently tied to two characters above all others: the relatable underdog boxer Rocky Balboa and the traumatized Vietnam War veteran, John Rambo.
Arguably two of the most iconic characters in American cinema, Stallone has routinely reprised each respective role over the past 40 years.
Now, it seems that the 79-year-old Tulsa King star is finally ready to hand over the trademark archery bow of his legendary First Blood character to to 29-year-old actor, Noah Centineo.
According to various media outlets, Centineo has officially been cast as a younger iteration of Stallone’s action hero for the upcoming prequel, John Rambo.
A project currently in active development, the new film will focus on Rambo’s early years in the Vietnam War, specifically depicting his grueling service in a Green Beret Special Forces unit.
The film will be directed by Rare Exports filmmaker Jalmari Helander, with a script provided by Black Adam scribes Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani.
The new film will serve as the sixth addition to the long-running Rambo series since the series began in 1982. Previously, Stallone reprised his role as the titular hero throughout the franchise, last appearing as the character in 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood.
In terms of Centineo’s career, the young actor first received his start in the entertainment industry as a Disney Channel star, playing a featured role on Austin & Ally from 2011 to 2012.
Following this, Centineo managed to land a starring role on Freeform’s family drama, The Fosters, taking over the role of Jesus Adams Foster following original actor Jake T. Austin’s departure from the series after its second season.
More famously, Centineo remains more readily known for his appearances in Netflix’s popular romantic comedy franchise, To All the Boys, reprising his main role in the series a total of three times from 2018 to 2021.
Sylvester Stallone Hands Over Iconic Rambo Role to 29-Year-Old Up-and-Coming Actor first appeared on Parade on Aug 12, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
