There are multiple actors who would be perfect to portray a young John Rambo in the upcoming Rambo prequel. It will be the sixth installment in the iconic Sylvester Stallone action franchise that kicked off with First Blood in 1982 and has followed the exploits of the Vietnam War veteran through 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood, which saw his character single-handedly fighting his way through the ranks of a dangerous cartel that has kidnapped his surrogate daughter. The upcoming prequel movie is set to be directed by Sisu‘s Jalmari Helander from a screenplay by The Mauritanian‘s Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani.
The prequel to the Rambo movies is set to follow the character’s time during the Vietnam War. While plot details are still under wraps, this will most likely center on his time as a prisoner of war, a key part of his backstory that lasted from 1971 through 1972, though his multiple deployments meant that his time in the war spanned 1966 through 1974. Because Rambo was canonically born in 1947, this means that the prequel will most likely need to cast a lead who is either between the ages of 19 and 27 or able to play those ages.
10
Fred Hechinger
He Could Capture Rambo’s Arc Perfectly
Fred Hechinger is probably best known for playing characters who are lovable goofballs, in movies such as Thelma and Hell of a Summer. At first glance, this does not necessarily recommend him for stepping into the role of a younger version of the iconic Sylvester Stallone action hero. However, it is important to note that the prequel will almost certainly follow an optimistic young John Rambo being turned into the hardened action hero seen in First Blood by his experiences on the battlefield.
In 2019, Stallone told ScreenRant that his idea for a Rambo prequel would depict the teenage version of the character as “the perfect guy” and “the most popular kid in school.“
Hechinger has proven his ability to play both sides of the character well, as quite a few of his seemingly lovable characters have proven themselves to have a harder edge that frequently shades into outright villainy, including Dmitri Kravinoff in Kraven the Hunter, Emperor Caracalla in Gladiator II, and Ethan Russell in The Woman in the Window.
9
Sam Nivola
Rambo’s Loss Of Innocence Could Be Well-Served By The White Lotus Star
Sam Nivola, who is the son of Emily Mortimer and Alessandro Nivola, is a relatively untested actor who has not had the chance to prove himself in the action genre just yet. However, much like Fred Hechinger, the major characters that he has played so far – namely Will Winbury in The Perfect Couple and Lochlan Ratliff in The White Lotus season 3 – are innocent on the outside but have a much more complicated interior life that could be perfect for bringing the young Rambo to the screen.
8
Ty Simpkins
The Insidious Star Has The Intensity Required For Rambo
Ty Simpkins is no stranger to franchise filmmaking. In fact, the most notable roles for the former child actor have been in installments of major long-running franchises, including playing Harley Keener in Iron Man 3 and Gray Mitchell in Jurᴀssic World. However, it is his longest recurring role – Dalton Lambert in the Insidious franchise – that most proves his ability to play Rambo. He recently reprised the role in his early twenties in 2023’s Insidious: The Red Door, showcasing that he can still capture the intensity that would be required by the Vietnam War movie.
7
Tanner Buchanan
The Cobra Kai Star Is Familiar With Onscreen Fighting
Tanner Buchanan, who is best known for his role as Robby Keene in the Cobra Kai cast, has the onscreen fighting chops to play Rambo given his six-season role as the son of martial artist Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and the student of Johnny’s rival Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio). Given the fact that Rambo is typically depicted with longer hair, the fact that Buchanan’s hair is usually seen at a similar length could give him an extra edge in being made up to look like a younger version of Stallone.
6
Tom Blyth
The Billy The Kid Star Already Has A Prequel Under His Belt
Tom Blyth, who plays the тιтle character in the ongoing MGM+ Western drama Billy the Kid, has already starred in a major franchise prequel, having played a younger version of Donald Sutherland’s President Coriolanus Snow in the 2023 movie The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. His idealist-to-villain arc in that movie could translate well to John Rambo’s story, and his ability to honor a pre-existing character is already well-established. He also recently completed filming a major role in the video game adaptation Watch Dogs, which likely required him to brush up on his action skills.
5
Rohan Campbell
He Has Already Played A Similar Role In A Major Horror Movie
In addition to starring as Frank Hardy in Hulu’s The Hardy Boys, Rohan Campbell is probably best known for playing the divisive character Corey Cunningham in Halloween Ends. While audiences’ mileage varied on the character himself, Corey’s transition from a kind “boy next door” type to a demented killer perfectly mirrors what will most likely be the main character’s arc in John Rambo. Campbell has also proven to have a continued commitment to starring in genre cinema, having taken on roles in 2025’s The Monkey and the upcoming Silent Night, ᴅᴇᴀᴅly Night remake.
4
Corey Mylchreest
His Look And His Shakespeare Training Could Make Him A Good Fit
The fact that Corey Mylchreest is English could be a potential demerit given the fact that John Rambo is American, but he is another actor whose visual similarity to a young Syvlester Stallone could help him stand out among the pack. He is not known for the action genre, having broken out as the young George III in the Bridgerton prequel series Queen Charlotte, but his Shakespearean background in stage productions including Romeo & Juliet, King Lear, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream could see him harness the pathos of the role in a way that would be tremendously compelling.
3
Alex Wolff
His Ample Horror Experience Could Benefit The War Movie
Just like Rohan Campbell and Ty Simpkins, Alex Wolff would likely be helped rather than hurt by the fact that he has more experience in horror movies than the action genre. His previous horror roles, including Peter Graham in Hereditary, the older Trent Cappa in Old, and Reuben in A Quiet Place: Day One, will prepare him to properly depict the torture of being a prisoner of war and the deep wounds that the experience carves into John Rambo.
2
Noah Centineo
He Has The Right Look And Action Chops
Another actor who boasts certain physical similarities to a young Sylvester Stallone that could be accentuated by makeup and hairstyling, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before breakout star Noah Centineo also has a great deal of experience in the action genre. In addition to playing supporting roles in the 2019 Charlie’s Angels remake and the 2022 superhero movie Black Adam, he played the lead in the Netflix action-comedy series The Recruit, which ran for two seasons between 2022 and 2025.
1
Jonah Hauer-King
The Up-And-Coming Star’s Career Is On The Perfect Path For Rambo
Jonah Hauer-King is one of the most exciting options to play the younger version of Sylvester Stallone. In addition to having certain physical similarities to the Oscar-nominated actor, he is a major up-and-coming performer that could help draw attention to the project. After his breakout role as the iconic character Prince Eric in the 2023 live-action remake The Little Mermaid, Hauer-King went on to star in the Peacock drama The Tattooist of Auschwitz.
This trajectory for his career could see him perfectly placed to hit a new high with [John Rambo].
Hauer-King is also set to appear in the upcoming legacy sequel I Know What You Did Last Summer and an unтιтled White House thriller from two-time Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow. In a similar manner to Tom Blyth taking on the role of Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, this trajectory for his career could see him perfectly placed to hit a new high with the Rambo prequel.
Rambo
- Movie(s)
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First Blood (1982), Rambo: First Blood Part 2, Rambo 3, Rambo, Rambo: Last Blood (2019)
- Created by
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David Morrell
- First Film
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First Blood (1982)
- Latest Film
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Rambo: Last Blood
- First TV Show
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Rambo: The Force of Freedom
Summary
Beginning with the novel and the film First Blood in 1982, Rambo is an action-adventure franchise starring Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, a Vietnam War veteran embroiled in violent conflicts that test his survival skills. The series has enjoyed critical success over several decades, branching into comic books, video games, and more.
