[Edaily Reporter YUN GI BACK ] “AI Rambo—is there any way to make it happen?”
At 80 years old, Sylvester Stallone still wanted to play “Rambo” himself. He even came up with a way to turn back the clock: using artificial intelligence (AI) to transform his appearance into that of an 18-year-old. However, the production team had other plans. Instead of an AI-rejuvenated Stallone, they cast 30-year-old actor Noah Centineo as the new Rambo.

◇Rambo, a role he’s played for over 40 years… Would he portray his 18-year-old self himself?
According to foreign media outlets such as the U.S. entertainment publication *Parade*, Stallone recently appeared on the podcast *The Overlap* and revealed that his proposal to use AI technology for a prequel to the movie *Rambo*—a story set before the events of the original film—was rejected.
Stallone recalled, “I wanted to combine human and AI elements in equal parts,” adding, “Of course, everyone went crazy.” He went on to emphasize, “AI isn’t going away,” and warned, “If we don’t go with the flow, we’ll get run over.” His argument is that while there is strong backlash in Hollywood regarding the use of AI, technological progress cannot be stopped.
Stallone has portrayed John Rambo in five films, from the 1982 movie *Rambo* to 2019’s *Rambo: Last Blood*. He rose to the ranks of a global action star as a veteran living with the scars of war.
The prequel he has envisioned starts from a point diametrically opposed to the familiar image of Rambo. It tells the story of an ordinary young man who was popular at school and good at sports before going to war, but who gradually transforms into a ruthless warrior after experiencing the deaths of his comrades and torture during the Vietnam War.
In an interview with Yahoo Finance on the 15th, Stallone also revealed that he had experimented with AI technology to make himself look as young as 18. He explained that he wanted to go beyond simply erasing wrinkles; he wanted to personally portray the process of his younger self changing as he experienced war.
However, this concept did not materialize into an actual film. The new prequel, *John Rambo*, has cast Noah Centineo—known for the Netflix film *To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before*—in the lead role. The film, which depicts the story of a young Rambo during the Vietnam War, is currently in production with a target release date of 2027. Stallone is credited as executive producer.
Interestingly, a real actor was also chosen over AI for another film depicting Stallone’s younger years. In the biopic “I Play Rocky,” which chronicles the making of “Rocky,” 27-year-old actor Anthony Ipolito plays the young Stallone.

◇Reviving the Past with AI… Where Do Actors Fit In?
Stallone predicted that AI would fundamentally change the way Hollywood utilizes actors. He noted that cases of actors selling the rights to use their likeness are on the rise and predicted that someday, dozens of digital avatars of the late Elvis Presley might appear.
These remarks came amid ongoing conflict in Hollywood over the issue of replicating actors’ faces and voices using AI. Robert Downey Jr. previously warned in 2024 that he would take legal action if his appearance and performances were replicated using AI without his consent. Stallone, on the other hand, emphasized the possibility that actors could use AI to reprise their past roles if they so desired.
AI is already being used in film production to make actors appear younger or to recreate characters from the past. However, using digital replicas instead of actual actors raises issues not only regarding the right of publicity, usage consent, and acting fees but also the impact on job opportunities for new actors.
Stallone, too, acknowledges that creators’ concerns are valid, yet maintains that the spread of this technology cannot be stopped. The actor, who has played Rambo for over 40 years, wanted to reclaim his youth through AI, but the role of the new Rambo ultimately went to another actor.
In an era where technology can turn back the clock for actors, the film industry faces a new choice: to whom will it entrust these roles?