John Rambo: New Film Adds David Harbour To Cast

This post was originally published on here

Posted in: Casting, Lionsgate, Movies | Tagged: david harbour, john rambo, lionsgate

David Harbour has been cast in the Rambo prequel film now in production at Lionsgate. He will be playing Major Trautman.

Article Summary

David Harbour has joined the John Rambo prequel, playing Major Trautman opposite Noah Centineo’s Rambo.
Jalmari Helander is directing, with the Russo Brothers among the executive producers on the Lionsgate film.
Centineo feels like a tough sell in the role, just as he did when originally cast as He-Man.
Another Rambo film feels unnecessary — the last one underperformed, and a prequel suggests the story is already told.

John Rambo has a new cast member. The prequel film has added David Harbour as Major Trautman, his commanding officer. Noah Centineo is playing Rambo, and is also joined by Yao (Sinners), Jason Tobin (A Thousand Blows), Quincy Isaiah (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty), Jefferson White (Yellowstone), and Tayme Thapthimthong (The White Lotus). The film is being directed by Jalmari Helander from a script by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshivani. Executive producers include Anthony and Joe Russo, Trevor Short, Dallas Sonnier, and Amanda Presmyk; producers include Kevin King Templeton, Les Weldon, Jonathan Yunger, Michael Disco, and Angela Russo-Otsot. THR had the news of Harbour joining the production.

David Harbour smiles while dressed in a black suit at the Critics Choice Awards 2025, with a blurred background featuring a scene possibly related to a film set. — David Harbour at the Critics Choice Awards 2025. Photo by Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock. Background: First Blood (1982) screencap.

John Rambo Has Gotten Little Buzz…So Far

Helander released a statement about the beginning of production: “When I was eleven, I saw First Blood for the first time, and it changed my life. Rambo wasn’t just a film to me- it stayed with me growing up and was a defining influence on why I wanted to become a filmmaker. As we begin production on the origin of John Rambo, we are going back to the beginning. This is Rambo stripped down, raw, and real- a survival story about endurance, persistence, and lost innocence. It’s an honor to shape this next chapter with deep respect for the character and the legacy, and to bring audiences the start of John Rambo’s journey.”

This is not a role I see Centino pulling off, just as I didn’t when he was originally cast as He-Man. Harbour’s addition gets me a little more excited, but I also do not think we need another Rambo film. The last one was in 2019, and it didn’t perform well at the box office. It also feels wrong to see anyone else in the role. Some things can be recast, and that’s okay, but I am not sure this is one of them. John Rambo feels like a character whose story has already been told, and the fact that this is a prequel confirms that for me. I guess we shall see.