Yee-ha! Sylvester Stallone saddles up for one last ride in surprising first 'Rambo V' photos

Sylvester Stallone will once again be stepping into the shoes of his most famous role, Rocky Balboa, in this fall’s Creed II. Yet that’s not the only legendary part the actor will be revisiting in the near future, as he’s just begun production on Rambo V, the latest installment of the long-running saga about Vietnam vet turned killing machine John Rambo. And the first photos from the set reveal that, this time around, he’ll be embodying the hero as a … cowboy?

Courtesy of Stallone himself (via Instagram, above), we now have our first glimpse at the newest incarnation of Rambo, who will be saddling up and heading south as a Western badass, complete with a wide-brimmed hat, checkered shirt, and enormous duster. His drastically different look — where’s the red bandanna? — makes a bit more sense when viewed in the context of the film’s story, which will involve Rambo battling a drug cartel. Still, it’s a somewhat jarring fashion statement for the tank-top-loving military man.

In May, Stallone teased the upcoming film with the below image:

And in August, he showed off his typically intense training for the part:

According to a report by Screen Daily, the plot of Rambo V plot will involve a PTSD-afflicted Rambo living hand-to-mouth in Arizona. He’s thrust back into action, however, when a family friend’s granddaughter goes missing crossing the border into Mexico, and during his search for the girl, he discovers a sex-trafficking ring that he has to thwart with the aid of a journalist who is looking for her sister.

Directed by Adrian Grunberg, Rambo V is tentatively set for a theatrical release some time in 2019.

Watch: First Blood director originally wanted to kill off Rambo in shocking ending:

Read more at Yahoo Entertainment:

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• Los Angeles prosecutors reviewing sexual assault case against Sylvester Stallone

• Surprise! Sylvester Stallone returns to the Rocky statue in Philadelphia