Sylvester Stallone, the actor famous for portraying John Rambo, recently revealed his idea to use artificial intelligence to digitally de-age himself for a Rambo prequel. Although he is no longer involved in the franchise, Stallone pitched this concept to bring a younger version of the character to life, highlighting the potential of AI technology.
Stallone’s Vision for Digital De-Aging
More than 40 years after the original film First Blood was released in 1982, Stallone discussed his plan on The Playlist’s Bingeworthy podcast. He explained that AI has advanced enough to recreate a youthful image, saying,
“AI is sophisticated enough to go through Saigon to see him at 18 years old and basically use the same image. So it isn’t as big a stretch.”
New Talent and Storyline for the Prequel
The upcoming Rambo prequel is reported to star Noah Centineo, known for To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, and is being developed by Millennium Media. The film will explore Rambo’s early years during the Vietnam War, with Jalmari Helander directing and a screenplay by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani, the writers behind Black Adam. Although Stallone is not part of the project, he is aware of its progress and offers guidance.
Addressing the challenges of stepping into an iconic role, Stallone shared,
“It’s very, very hard. He may do a stellar job, but you’re overcoming this because I went through it with Get Carter. Everyone loves the original, and then you’re always fighting that prejudice.”
Franchise Legacy and Future Production Plans
The Rambo series, based on David Morrell’s 1972 novel First Blood, has had five Stallone-led films and earned over $800 million worldwide. Its most recent release, Rambo: Last Blood, brought in $92 million. The new prequel is slated to begin production in early 2026 in Thailand, with Lionsgate likely to handle distribution, following their involvement with the last two films.
This prequel aims to deepen the Rambo narrative by focusing on his origins, while also integrating modern filmmaking techniques such as the proposed AI de-aging, which Stallone believes could transform how characters are portrayed across generations.
