The 1980’s were a time of R&R for Sylvester Stallone. No, we don’t mean rest and relaxation. We mean Rambo and Rocky. Throughout the decade, Stallone appeared in three Rambo films and two Rocky pictures. Both franchises continued beyond that to show the future of their respective protagonists. One however, is set to go back into the past. John Rambo is an upcoming prequel we’ve reported on already. It’s set to star Noah Centineo in the title role. Now we know who will play his commanding officer.
The History of Rambo
It’s actually quite possible that you might not be familiar with the story of John Rambo. The character came from a book called, First Blood published in 1977. Despite what the legacy of the series suggests regarding violence and action, the first film is not really about that. First Blood is a story about PTSD and survival. Rambo is a Vietnam vet who experiences trauma and flashbacks following an altercation with some small town police. The book and the film adaptation of it are about Rambo trying to escape these cops as they conduct a manhunt. His CO, Samuel Trautman, is brought in to try and help.
In the original series of films, Trautman was portrayed by the late, great Richard Crenna. Crenna died 2003 but footage of him was still used in the last two films in the franchise. Stallone doesn’t forget those who were a big part of his films. With this upcoming movie set to explore Rambo’s time in the war though, who’s going to play Trautman? The answer is David Harbour. With Stranger Things officially over, the man who was Hopper now has a bit more time on his hands. Time that will be spent teaching Rambo everything he knows.
What Harbour Brings to the Role
It’s an interesting role since Trautman was a hardened military man. He was also a father figure and sense of comfort to Rambo. If you go back and watch First Blood, there’s the emotional speech Rambo gives towards the end. In that speech, he emotionally unloads on Trautman in a way that shows vulnerability and pain. It’s not your typical action movie dialogue, nor is Crenna’s presence as Trautman your typical army buddy role. We’ve seen Harbour show an emotional side in the aforementioned Stranger Things, there’s little doubt he can carry this role too.
John Rambo does not yet have a confirmed release date but we’ll let you know when it does. Over and out.
