Noah Centineo’s Young Rambo Gets Early Rave Review With Sylvester Stallone Comparison

Published Aug 8, 2026, 1:09 PM EDT Ryan Northrup is a Senior Staff Writer on ScreenRant's Movie & TV News team, where he has authored nearly 5,000 articles, including features and reviews. A graduate of McMaster University, Ryan began his career in public relations before attending Vancouver Film School. There, he built lasting industry connections and optioned a feature film screenplay. Noah Centineo's John Rambo performance gets an early reaction from David Harbour. Directed by Jalmari Helander, the upcoming action film serves as a prequel to First Blood (1982), which introduced Sylvester Stallone as tortured Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. Centineo takes on Stallone's iconic role, while Harbour is playing Major Trautman, Rambo's commanding officer. In a recent interview with Deadline, Harbour shares some new teases for John Rambo, praising both Helander and Centineo. “The director is amazing," Harbour says. "He’s made a couple films. Sisu was this film I saw and I was just like ‘Whoa.’ That guy has a propulsion to his filmmaking." Of Centineo, Harbour also shares some high praise. According to the Stranger Things star, Centineo naturally has a Stallone energy to him: “I also think they cast a really great guy in the lead. I met Noah and he has this very Stallone feel to him in the best way. He’s kind of studied. I don’t know. It felt like a young Stallone. I was like, ‘this is interesting.’ It’s going to be cool.” Filming on John Rambo wrapped this past March, with a release date set for June 4, 2027. While an official plot synopsis hasn't been revealed just yet, the film is expected to follow Rambo's early days as a Green Beret during the Vietnam War. James Franco is also confirmed to appear in the movie in a supporting role. Centineo's list of movie credits continues to grow. He may be familiar to some viewers for his role as Peter in the To All the Boys franchise, and he's more recently appeared in projects like Black Adam (2022); Dream Scenario (2023); Warfare (2025); and Our Hero, Balthazar (2025). He also starred in Netflix's The Recruit series. In terms of upcoming Centineo projects, John Rambo will arrive after the release of Street Fighter this fall. The upcoming video game adaptation will feature Centineo in the role of Ken Masters alongside costars Jason Momoa, David Dastmalchian, 50 Cent, Andrew Koji, and Eric André. Centineo is also attached to star in the upcoming Gundam movie, which is set for release next year. For Harbour, John Rambo follows the conclusion of Stranger Things last fall, and the airing of DTF St. Louis. He's set to reprise his role as Red Guardian for Avengers: Doomsday, and will also be returning as Santa Claus for Violent Night 2, both of which arrive this December. John Rambo, then, will follow some big movies for Harbour. It remains to be seen how John Rambo will fare with audiences, but Rambo remains one of Stallone's most iconic characters. Even though later installments in the saga – which now consists of five films – weren't well-received, the franchise remains a significant one in the world of action cinema, meaning Centineo has big shoes to fill. Release Date June 4, 2027 Director Jalmari Helander Writers Rory Haines, Sohrab Noshirvani Producers Kevin King Templeton, Les Weldon, Michael Disco, Angela Russo-Otstot