David Harbour is doing the two-things-at-once actor thing right now: getting sentimental about Stranger Things as it winds down and, at the same time, suiting up for a new franchise gig that could not be more different.
Harbour on the early Stranger Things magic
At an Emmys FYC panel at Hollywood Forever Cemetery (yes, literally a cemetery, because Los Angeles loves a venue), Harbour sat alongside Noah Schnapp, Natalia Dyer, and Jamie Campbell Bower and got reflective about how this whole ride started. Back before it was a global hit that turned the kids into household names and built a fiercely attached fanbase, the show felt scrappy, personal, and oddly intimate for everyone involved.
"That first season is a magical experience in my mind. I am so happy they were here celebrating the final season which to me almost transcends character."
His point wasn’t just nostalgia. He credited the kids for setting the tone from day one: they weren’t doing that 'look at me' child-actor thing. They were just being kids, which gave the show its honesty and ended up being one of its biggest strengths. He also said he learned a lot from watching them work. A clip of his comments from the panel made the rounds via Deadline on May 25, 2026.
As Stranger Things heads into its final stretch, you can feel the cast clicking into memory mode, talking about the on-and-off-screen bond that formed in those early Hawkins days and why that first season felt different from anything else.
Next up: Harbour is Major Trautman in a Rambo prequel
Switching gears hard: according to Variety, Harbour has signed on for the John Rambo prequel. He will play Major Trautman, the commanding officer and mentor who shapes Rambo’s path in the military. Noah Centineo is taking on young Rambo, stepping into the role originated by Sylvester Stallone. Jalmari Helander, who directed Sisu, is behind the camera. The film goes back to Rambo’s Vietnam War years, before First Blood, digging into the experiences and trauma that forge the guy we meet later in the franchise. With Harbour in the mix, expect some actual character heft alongside the wartime intensity.
- Harbour’s role: Major Trautman, Rambo’s commanding officer and mentor
- Young Rambo: Noah Centineo (taking over from Stallone’s iconic character)
- Director: Jalmari Helander (Sisu)
- Timeline: Vietnam War era, set before First Blood
- Focus: the experiences and trauma that harden Rambo into the soldier audiences know
So, yes: from the warm glow of Hawkins nostalgia to the mud and fire of a Rambo origin story, Harbour’s dance card is full.