Sylvester Stallone is back as Rambo in action-packed trailer for Last Blood

Sylvester Stallone is back as Rambo in the action-packed new trailer for the highly-anticipated fifth installment of the successful franchise.

A new trailer for the Rambo: Last Blood was released on Thursday ahead of the film’s September 20 debut.

Proving he’s still as tough as ever at 72, the actor returns as character John J. Rambo in the movie, where he travels to Mexico to rescue his friend’s daughter after she is kidnapped by a Mexican cartel. 

The actor first played the Vietnam veteran John Rambo in 1982’s First Blood.

The former soldier has been working at a ranch, but when the daughter of one of his friends is kidnapped, he crosses the American/Mexico border and finds himself up against one of the country’s most violent organizations.

Stallone was initially expected to direct the movie as well as star, but Adrian Grunberg served as director.

Sylvester is heard saying in a voiceover during the trailer’s opening sequence: ‘I lived in a world of death. I’ve watched people I’ve loved die. Some fast with a bullet. Some not enough left to bury.’

Wow: Proving he’s still as tough as ever at 72, the actor returns as character John J. Rambo in the movie, where he travels to Mexico to rescue his friend’s daughter after she is kidnapped by a Mexican cartel

Ready! Set! Action! The fifth film in the Rambo franchise is set to arrive in theaters on September 20, 2019

The trailer opens with a view of a small but peaceful-looking town with Sylvester resting on a rocking chair; he is then seen walking toward a tombstone in a cemetery at dusk.

The camera pans across the inside of his home, where a huge row of guns and a large knife is displayed on the wall. 

The pace begins to pick up as viewers watch him expertly ride around a horse with the song Old Town Road by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus beginning to play; the scene shows that Rambo is now living at a cowboy ranch. 

Sylvester takes a moment to wash his face and hair and pauses to look at his reflection in a small mirror. 

Trouble brewing: The trailer opens with a view of a small town before it shows Sylvester seated on a rocking chair; he is then seen walking toward a tombstone in a cemetery

Honoring those gone: He is then seen walking to a tombstone in a cemetery at dusk

Setting the pace: The pace begins to pick up as viewers watch him expertly ride around a horse with the song Old Town Road by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus beginning to play

Western: The scene shows that Rambo is now living at a cowboy ranch

Long look: Sylvester takes a moment to wash his face and hair and pauses to look at his reflection in a small mirror

The screen goes black before there is a shot close up of his eyes with his voiceover: ‘All these years I’ve kept my secrets.’

He sharpens his knives against a stone before looking closely at his newly-sharpened knife; he says over the scene: ‘But the time has come to face my past.’

Sylvester leaves his peaceful cowboy life behind him as he arrives in Mexico; a green covered mountain and a large city filled with homes and buildings come into view.

Focus: The screen goes black before there is a shot close up of his eyes with his voiceover: ‘All these years I’ve kept my secrets’

Making moves: He sharpens his knives against a stone before looking closely at his newly-sharpened knife; he says over the scene: ‘But the time has come to face my past’

A flash of Sylvester rapidly walking out of his home holding his gun is seen before his voiceover comes on.

‘And if it comes looking for me, they will welcome death,’ he says, now seen at night in the Mexican city surrounded by a large group of gun-wielding men.

Punches are thrown and shouting as a huge fight ensues.

On the move: A flash of Sylvester rapidly walking out of his home holding his gun is seen before his voiceover comes on

Uh-oh: ‘And if it comes looking for me, they will welcome death,’ he says, now seen at night in the Mexican city surrounded by a large group of gun-wielding men

Trouble all around: Punches are thrown and shouting as a huge fight ensues

The trailer returns back to the small town Sylvester is living in and the peaceful nature of it is quickly shattered.

Cars interrupting the idyllic small town, presumably heading to his home, comes into view with Sylvester turning to gaze at them as they arrive.

He pulls up a large weapon to the top of his barn and then welds and hammers a huge knife – prepping for what seems like an all out war.

‘I want revenge,’ Sylvester whispers in the voiceover.

What is he planning: Sylvester using wielding tools on a knife before taking a hammer to it

Weapons galore: He pulls up a large weapon to the top of his barn and then welds a knife and hammers it – prepping for what seems like an all out war

He pulls his arrow back on his bow as he waits for the dozen cars heading to his home; a car explodes into a ball of flames after he pulls the trigger on his arrow.

Sylvester carefully treads in what appears to be a cave with a large machine gun; he shoots at his assailants and runs out after a large explosion.

His enemies are seen closing in on him with their guns and arrows drawn.

As they step into his home, a trap gets set off by one of the gun-wielding men – it shoots an arrow straight at him.

Not gonna let them in: Sylvester turns to gaze at the strange cars arriving to his ranch

Patience: He pulls his arrow back on his bow as he waits for the dozen cars heading to his home

Boom: He pulls the trigger on his arrow and then there is a huge explosion

Can’t keep up with him: Sylvester carefully treads in what appears to be a cave with a large machine gun; he shoots at his assailants

They’re coming: His enemies are seen closing in on him with their guns and arrows drawn

It’s a trap! As they step into his home, a trap gets set off by one of the gun-wielding men

Not taking any chance: The trap shoots an arrow straight at the gun-wielding enemy

Sylvester’s character Rambo has his hands around one the neck of one of the intruders as he chokes him. 

The intruders are seen making their way to his ranch. 

‘I want them to know that death is coming,’ he says as a montage of explosions take over the screen. 

Another intruder is killed and Sylvester wields an enormous knife; a series of explosions rock the ranch with cars catching on fire.

Strength: Sylvester’s character Rambo has his hands around the neck of one of the intruders as he chokes him

The enemies are coming: The intruders are seen making their way to his ranch

Wartime: ‘I want them to know that death is coming,’ he says as a montage of explosions take over the screen

The screen turns black for a moment before a visibly limping Sylvester walks across his barn with his hand going to his knife at his thigh.

‘And there’s nothing they can do to stop it,’ he says as he pulls the knife out with blood-hungry eyes.

Sylvester, who is drenched in blood, lifts the knife up into the air and snarls, before bringing it down upon the faceless enemy.

The screen goes black. 

Goner: Another intruder is killed and Sylvester wields an enormous knife

Taking count: The screen turns black for a moment before a visibly limping Sylvester walks across his barn

Ready for anything: His hand is seen going to his knife at his thigh

Action scene: ‘And there’s nothing they can do to stop it’ he says as he pulls the knife out with blood-hungry eyes

Go: Sylvester, who is drenched in blood, lifts the knife up into the air and snarls, before bringing it down upon the faceless enemy; The screen goes black

John Rambo was the lead character in the 1972 novel First Blood, written by David Morrell. The book was adapted into a film of the same name in 1982.

The franchise then spawned sequels Rambo: First Blood Part II in 1985 and Rambo III in 1988.

Whilst the former was a box office hit, the latter of the two flopped when it hit screens, and the character subsequently lay dormant until Sylvester revived him for a 2008 movie simply entitled Rambo.

Sylvester recently worked on another franchise, Creed II, the follow-up to Rocky spin-off Creed, and last year began filming Expendables 4, despite previous speculation he’d quit the series.

According to Deadline, the Rambo franchise has earned $728 million globally, unadjusted for inflation. 

Coming soon: Rambo: Last Blood hits theaters on September 20

First: John Rambo was the lead character in the 1972 novel First Blood, written by David Morrell. The book was adapted into a film of the same name in 1982

Continued story: The franchise then spawned sequels Rambo: First Blood Part II in 1985 and Rambo III in 1988

Fourth: Sylvester revived him for a 2008 movie simply entitled Rambo

Comments: The trailer featured the hit tun Old Town Road by Lil Nas X; the singer tweeted a grab of the trailer, adding: ‘yes i got rambo in the bacc !! [sic] with a devil emoji

Good humor: Billy Ray Cyrus, who was featured on the track, was happy the song was included