John Rambo is one of Sylvester Stallone’s most iconic roles, and while he has seemingly hung up his machine guns as the character with 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood, the actor seems hopeful that a prequel project will debut on a streaming service. Stallone claimed that, while he had hoped the prequel would focus on his character’s journey in Vietnam and his descent into becoming the hardened and weary survivalist, the project will likely be set in the present day and will feature a new actor, potentially kicking off an entirely new storyline to be continued in future sequels.
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When asked about the status of the prequel by The Hollywood Reporter, Stallone confirmed, “I think it’s going to happen. I wanted to do it like a Ken Burns documentary on Vietnam, where you drop young Rambo in there and he’s this outgoing guy, football captain, and then you see why he becomes Rambo. But what they want to do is a modern-day story where I pass the torch. That’s getting close.”
While this is a positive update about the project, it does introduce some questions about what it will mean for the franchise.
According to Stallone’s idea for the prequel, it would easily fit into the overall canon of the concept, though would see a new actor taking the reins as the younger version of the character. The original First Blood was based on the novel of the same name by David Morrell and focused on a Vietnam War veteran who is antagonized by local law enforcement until he has a psychiatric break that unearths all of the mental trauma he suffered in the war, fleeing to the woods to survive a massive manhunt orchestrated by the police department. Stallone’s version of a prequel would surely include action elements, though also sounds like it would be a more dour affair akin to Full Metal Jacket or The Deer Hunter in how it follows an emotionally devastating trajectory.
However, Stallone’s remarks about it being a modern-day story will spark speculation about the project. It’s possible that the story would have a more literal passing of the torch, in which Stallone appears as his Rambo and a new character continues his legacy thematically, or if he remains involved in the project behind the scenes, it could be a more figurative passing of the torch, with a modern-day story essentially serving as a reimagining of the core concept.
Stay tuned for details on the possible future of the prequel project.
What would you like to see in a prequel? Let us know in the comments!
