Sylvester Stallone reveals wild AI pitch to make him 18 again for a ‘Rambo’ prequel

Sylvester Stallone has revealed he once pitched an unusual idea for the Rambo franchise, a prequel using artificial intelligence to de-age him back to 18. Speaking on The Playlist’s Bingeworthy podcast, the 79-year-old actor said he suggested the concept years ago but was met with scepticism.

“Everyone thought I was crazy,” Stallone recalled, claiming today’s technology is advanced enough to show a teenage John Rambo in war-torn Saigon while still using his likeness. “It isn’t as big a stretch,” he added.

Although a different Rambo origin story with Noah Centineo is already in the works, Stallone admitted it would be tough for any actor to replace him. “It’s very, very hard,” he said. “Everyone loves the original, and then you’re always fighting that prejudice.”

The comments arrive as Stallone promotes both his upcoming memoir The Steps and the new season of his Paramount+ series Tulsa King. Online, his AI confession sparked immediate reaction. On Variety’s comments section, one user quipped, “Definitely has to be really sophisticated to make that man look under 40,” while another joked, “Why don’t you de-age yourself out of existence.” Others defended him, pointing out he created some of cinema’s most enduring icons and has every right to weigh in on how they continue.

Stallone also admitted to being “shocked” by I Play Rocky, a Peter Farrelly-directed making-of drama starring Anthony Ippolito. “I have zero to do with it,” he said, though he wished he had been consulted for insight.

His memoir, arriving May 2026, promises to chart his journey from struggling actor in 1969 New York to Oscar glory with Rocky. Meanwhile, Tulsa King season three debuts September 21, already renewed for a fourth run. Whether Hollywood ever embraces his AI Rambo idea remains to be seen, but the debate over de-aging technology shows no signs of slowing down.