It seems like just yesterday that Sylvester Stallone started shooting Rambo: Last Blood. The action icon has been sharing sneak peek images direct from the set ever since production kicked off in October. Now he's back with a special message and a final set video as production shuts down on the next chapter in the exciting life of John Rambo.

We know from previous images that John has taken work on a ranch, becoming a true cowboy. The Vietnam vet is called out of retirement to track a woman kidnapped and taken into Mexico as part of a sex ring. It appears that his mission is accomplished, though we're not sure how much worse for wear Rambo is. Taking on the Mexican cartel can't be an easy task, and John is getting up there in age.

Sylvester Stallone just recently finished shooting Creed 2, which hit theaters over Thanksgiving weekend. It proved to be the biggest opener in the Rocky franchise and is a certifiable hit. Sly has recently announced that he is retiring his Rocky character, though some, like Dolph Lundgren, think he'll be back. Stallone hasn't exactly said he is finished with Rambo just yet. But after shooting for two straight months in Bulgaria, he may be putting away his giant hunting knife for good this time.

Sly shared a final video from set on Instagram. Stallone has really utilized his social media better than most, giving longtime fans a clear view into the production process without giving away any of the sequel's secrets. Stallone says this.

"Well that was it, that was my final shot. And Rambo 5 Last Blood, at least that's what they are calling it, thus far. And it's been an amazing journey, it really has. This character was presented to me in 1980. And no one wanted to do it. As a matter of fact, I was the eleventh choice. People looked at this as almost as a cursed project. I looked at it and said this was an amazing opportunity."

Sylvester Stallone wasn't even supposed to return for Rambo 5. The creative force behind the franchise, Sly was ready to bail when producers decided to turn Rambo into a TV show focusing on John's son. Stallone was attached for a while, but bailed. Soon, that project fell apart. For awhile, the actor wanted to adapt The Savage Hunt book into the next Rambo script. It would have seen Rambo fighting a mutant creature in the jungle. That sounds a little too outlandish, and now, Rambo will be fighting the much more believable Mexican cartel. Fret not, though, he will be shooting a straight adaptation of {The Savage Hunt{ sometime in 2019.

In earlier photos shared from the Rambo 5 set, Sly showed off his horseback riding skills, and shared some new knife images. In a more recent post, Stallone is seen standing behind a colorful wall of graffiti. It doesn't immediately scream 'Rambo movie', but Sly assures that it turned out to be a perfect location for John Rambo's latest mission.

That mission finds Rambo on a quest to save a friend's daughter, who has been taken away for work in the illegal sex trade that straddles the American-Mexican border. Rambo 4 was an unrelenting blood bath that still stands as one of the goriest R rated movies ever released in the States. Its a meat farm. Will Rambo 5 be able to top it? Or is Sly going a more subtle First Blood route this time out? We'll have to wait and see, when Rambo 5 is released in theaters someone next year.