The upcoming Rambo origin film has added another prominent name to its lineup, with David Harbour stepping into the role of Major Trautman. The character serves as a mentor and commanding officer to the young John Rambo, who will be portrayed by Noah Centineo in the film.

Directed by Jalmari Helander, John Rambo explores the formative years of the iconic soldier, tracing the experiences that shaped him long before the events depicted in First Blood. The script comes from writers Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvan.

The project revisits a character first brought to life by Sylvester Stallone in 1982’s First Blood, based on David Morrell’s 1972 novel. In that film and its early sequels — Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) and Rambo III (1988) — the role of Major Trautman was played by Richard Crenna, who portrayed the Vietnam veteran’s trusted guide and superior officer. Crenna passed away in 2003, prior to Stallone reprising his role in later instalments Rambo (2008) and Rambo: Last Blood (2019).

Joining Centineo and Harbour in the new film are 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).

Production on the prequel is underway in Bangkok, Thailand. Stallone, who co-wrote the original films, is attached to the project as an executive producer. The film is backed by Lionsgate in collaboration with Millennium Media, Templeton Media, and AGBO, with distribution also handled by Lionsgate.

The producing team includes Kevin King Templeton, Les Weldon, Jonathan Yunger, Angela Russo-Otstot, and Michael Disco, while Anthony and Joe Russo, Trevor Short, Dallas Sonnier, and Amanda Presmyk are among the executive producers alongside Stallone.