Rambo Prequel Confirms Controversial Spider-Man Star in First Blockbuster Villain Role Since Raimi’s Trilogy

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Filming has wrapped on the upcoming Rambo prequel, and the movie’s first villain has been revealed. Sylvester Stallone, who is producing the film, previously announced his return to the franchise but clarified he wouldn’t be starring. However, he hinted he’d be closely involved with the project and might even make a cameo. Noah Centineo will star as a young John Rambo, and now the actor playing the antagonist has been cast.

According to Variety, James Franco will be playing the bad guy in the upcoming Rambo prequel. The film, directed by Jalmari Helander (known for ‘Sisu’), will explore Rambo’s time in the military during the Vietnam War, before the events of the original 1982 ‘First Blood’ movie. This is Franco’s first major villain role since he played Harry Osborn/The Green Goblin in Sam Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man 3’.

James Franco Joining Rambo Prequel

James Franco’s career stalled after accusations of sexual misconduct surfaced. He disputed the claims but reached a settlement with the accusers for over $2 million in 2021. Now, it appears Franco is attempting a return to Hollywood. He recently attended the Cannes Film Festival with his partner, Izabel Pakzad, and told Variety he had finished filming a major studio movie slated for release in 2027. Variety later discovered the film was a John Rambo prequel.

James Franco returns to major studio productions after a four-year acting break. His last significant film role was in the 2018 movie The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. Before this, he appeared in the French thriller The Price of Money: A Largo Winch Adventure and the Italian drama Hey Joe, both released in 2024, marking his return to acting following the end of HBO’s The Deuce in 2019. He also has a new film, Castro’s Daughter, a biopic about Fidel Castro, on the way.

Besides playing Rambo, Franco is part of a cast that includes David Harbour as Major Sam Trautman, Rambo’s superior officer. Filming for this origin story began in January and finished earlier this month. The movie also stars Yao, Jason Tobin, Quincy Isaiah, Jefferson White, and Tayme Thapthimthong, who gained recognition in The White Lotus. Franco will play a minor villain, so his role in the film may be limited.

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2026-05-17 01:10