Take a bunch of aging action stars who can still put on a good show and you got the Expendables. I remember when the first one came out back in 2010 and having a good time with it. The concept was straightforward enough, as it had a lot in common with your typical action movie. The only thing different about it was the cast. From Sylvester Stallone, to Jason Statham, to Jet Li, to Dolph Lundgren, to Randy Couture, the movie packed a big punch, especially if you love action movies from the ’80s and ’90s. And keep in mind, this was something Sylvester Stallone wrote, directed, and starred in. We all know how much he loves making his own action movies, and The Expendables is a testament to that. If you don’t think so, check out the sequels. They only go bigger.
Now if you’ve seen the third Expendables, you were probably very disappointed. Why Lionsgate decided to give that one a PG-13 rating is beyond me, but it did the film no favors. Sure, it had Mel Gibson as the main antagonist and Ronda Rousey when she was at the top of her career, but it still underperformed. I mean, it even added Wesley Snipes to the roster, and he was originally supposed to have Terry Crews’ role in the first one. If only he didn’t go through his legal troubles. But hey, at least Sylvester Stallone brought him along eventually.
Speaking of Sylvester Stallone, he’s been rather on-and-off on the future of the Expendables franchise. He was surely disappointed on how the third movie performed and I believe he has a desire to fix that. We’ve heard rumors about the fourth movie being in the works for a while, with a possible spin-off with an all-female cast in the works as well. That’s an idea I personally would indulge in, especially after seeing Ronda in action. Does Sylvester Stallone have to be involved? Given that it’s his idea, I would say yes, but then again, we’ve seen how well the Rocky franchise came back when he’s not directing one. Granted, The Expendables is first and foremost, an action franchise, and that’s what papa Sly excels in. He should be creatively involved no matter what, but having him in the director’s chair isn’t necessary.
I’m all for some spin-offs related to The Expendables, but I’ll also take a fourth movie. I do like the franchise and I wouldn’t want it to end with the third movie. There was a lot of talent working on those movies and I think Stallone can bring in more action stars to fuel the testosterone. There’s a lengthy list of action star candidates, but we need to be sure a fourth Expendables is actually happening first. I recognize many other people don’t like these movies as much as I do, but I think it has more to offer.
We should also recognize the difficulties behind the production of a fourth Expendables. The obvious one is that Sylvester Stallone, along with several of the other actors, are getting up there in age. I mean, the fact that papa Sly is reaching 80 and still works out religiously is phenomenal. Can he handle doing the physical work for The Expendables? As of now, I actually have no doubt, but it’s also something he should probably do very soon. Let’s not forget, the man actually almost died on the set of the first Expendables. I think many other actors would throw in the towel after that, but Stallone kept making these movies and putting in the grueling physical work. That is pure dedication at it’s highest.
If Sylvester Stallone really wants to do it, I believe it will happen. In fact, he recently took to his Instagram and posted a picture of a new “lucky ring” for Barney Ross. The ring itself looks pretty cool, as it resembles a golden skull with purples gems for the eyes. Would Sylvester Stallone post this just for fun? That’s actually a big possibility, because I can see him just wanting to own that cool-looking ring. The thing is, he specifically acknowledged Expendables 4 in all caps, and pointed out that the ring will put muscles on your fingers. In his words, he finished designing the ring for Expendables 4 (again, in all caps), which makes me very curious.
Does this one post alone confirm that The Expendables 4 is happening? I honestly wouldn’t go that far, but I think Stallone himself is pushing for it. I think his biggest challenge would be getting everyone on board, especially with COVID still going on. We all need to remember that many of the Expendables cast is older and they’re at the highest risk. Stallone is aware of that, but I believe he’s been using his time in quarantine to make some plans for his movies. At the top of that list, would have to be what he wants to do for The Expendables. But first, he’d have to make sure the fourth movie secures that R-rating.
The violence in these movies works best when its over-the-top. We shouldn’t take it seriously and we should expect all the corny one-liners that these guys spat out in the ’80s and ’90s. It speaks a lot of nostalgia, but Stallone knows why he’s writing it. It’s just fun to watch and the funny one-liners just add to the fun. I believe the next movie can take a few steps beyond that. Stallone needs to bring in more talent, and it doesn’t have to necessarily be your typical action stars.
If he wants to make things different, he can add some familiar faces who aren’t known for their action movies. Take what he did with Glen Powell, for example. He’s not known for being in action movies, but his character was a younger member of the team, and he was useful because of his knowledge in hacking. This was a useful skillset for a more modern team of Expendables, and I think they can add more members who have a different skill set they can bring to the table. Bring in some popular actors on top of it, and Stallone has himself a good fourth Expendables movie. Got any names in mind? How about Carl Weathers? It’ll be the closest thing we’ll ever get to a Rocky and Apollo reunion.
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