David Harbour Joins John Rambo Prequel

David Harbour has joined the cast of John Rambo, the upcoming prequel to Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo franchise, taking on the role of Major Trautman, the commanding officer of John Rambo.

The casting was confirmed by multiple entertainment outlets on April 17, 2026, with Harbour portraying the character originally played by Richard Crenna in the first three Rambo films. The news follows the film’s production wrap in Thailand in March 2026.

Harbour will star alongside Noah Centineo, who is cast as the younger version of John Rambo, the titular character later portrayed by Stallone in the original series. The film serves as an origin story set before the events of First Blood, the 1982 movie that launched the franchise.

Sylvester Stallone is involved in the project as an executive producer, alongside Anthony and Joe Russo, Trevor Short, Dallas Sonnier, and Amanda Presmyk. Additional producers include Kevin King Templeton of Templeton Media, Les Weldon and Jonathan Yunger of Millennium Media, and Angela Russo-Otstot and Michael Disco of AGBO.

The film is being directed by Jalmari Helander, known for directing Sisu and Sisu: Road to Revenge, with the screenplay written by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani. Production companies involved in the film include Templeton Media, Millennium Media, and AGBO.

Harbour’s casting comes after his recent role as Floyd Smernitch in the HBO miniseries DTF St. Louis and his appearance as Red Guardian in the Avengers: Doomsday showcase at CinemaCon earlier in 2026. He concluded his run as Jim Hopper in the Netflix series Stranger Things prior to joining the John Rambo project.

The prequel film, titled John Rambo, is being produced by Lionsgate and Millennium Media, with Templeton Media and AGBO also participating in the production. It represents a significant addition to the Rambo franchise, exploring the formative experiences of the character before his portrayal in Stallone’s films.