Every Actor Who Left The Expendables Franchise (& Why) (2024)

The Expendables 4 cast continued the star-studded approach of the franchise, but the cast of the Expendables series has changed constantly over the years. Sylvester Stallone has always had good luck when it comes to crafting franchises for himself, and with The Expendables movies, he hit upon the simple (but ingenious) notion of gathering together action stars from different eras and pairing them for one film. Throughout the first three outings, Stallone put together an impressive ensemble of stars, though some notable names — like Jackie Chan, Kurt Russell, or Donnie Yen — ended up passing.

The Expendables 4 broke away from the action icon formula and marked a passing of the guard; Megan Fox and 50 Cent were cast, and Stallone stepped back from the sequel creatively. Jason Statham's Christmas stepped up as the new franchise lead, though the door is presumably open for Stallone to make future appearances. If The Expendables 5 does happen, it would be odd not to see Barney turn up. That said, it wasn't the first time in the saga's history a major character didn't return either, as several co-stars passed on planned repeat appearances.

Rourke Backed Out Of Expendables 2 To Star In Seven Psychopaths

Mickey Rourke played a small, but critical, role in The Expendables cast as Tool, who finds jobs for the titular team. Tool ended up being the unexpected heart of the film, as his monologue involving his failure to save a woman inspires Barney to do the right thing. Rourke was set to reprise his role for Expendables 2, where his character would have returned to the field - only to get killed during a mission. Rourke backed out to star in Seven Psychopaths instead, though he also later quit that project after clashing with director Martin McDonagh (via Indie Wire).

Tool's Expendables 2 role was later rewritten and became Liam Hemsworth's ill-fated sniper Billy The Kid. Rourke has never discussed his Expendables exit, but it's unlikely he'll return for any future movies in the franchise.

Bruce Willis (Mr. Church)

Willis Reportedly Turned Down $3 Million For Four Days Of Work For Expendables 3

The original Expendables cast featured the long-awaited union of Stallone, Schwarzenegger, and Bruce Willis on the big screen. Willis played Mr. Church, a menacing CIA agent who recruits Barney's team for dangerous missions. Church gets more involved in the action for Expendables 2, but while the character is set to return for the third movie, Willis eventually passes. It was reported that Willis demanded $4 million for four days of work and passed on an offer of $3 million. Stallone seemingly confirmed this then, tweeting "GREEDY AND LAZY … A SURE FORMULA FOR CAREER FAILURE."

While Stallone didn't mention Willis by name, the tweet was seen as a jab at his former co-star. The Expendables 3 replaced Bruce Willis with Harrison Ford's Drummer, who stated in his opening scene, "Church is out of the picture." Had Willis returned, his role would likely have mirrored that of Drummer in the final film, who recruits Barney to chase after Mel Gibson's arms dealer. Sadly, Willis retired in 2022 after being diagnosed with the brain disorder aphasia; in 2023, his family announced his condition had progressed, and he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.

Terry Crews (Hale Caesar)

Crews Left Following A Heated Call With Producer Avi Lerner

Many actors were considered for the Hale Caesar role in The Expendables, including Wesley Snipes and Forest Whitaker (via MSNBC). While Caesar was never a central character, Terry Crews brought a genuine charisma to the part. While Crews is mostly known by modern audiences for his role as Terry Jeffords in Brroklyn Nine-Nine, his career started in the NFL for a variety of teams including the L.A. Rams and San Diego Chargers.

The character was set to die in Expendables 3, but Crews "begged" Stallone to keep the character alive. Crews eventually left the franchise, claiming producer Avi Lerner tried to pressure him into dropping a sexual assault case against WME producer Adam Venit. Crews had alleged Venit groped him during a 2016 party and vowed not to return for The Expendables 4 after Lerner's call.

Jet Li (Yin Yang)

Li Had A Smaller Role In Expendables 2 Due To Scheduling Conflicts

Jet Li was one of the most accomplished action stars in The Expendables cast, but he was never as big of a part of the later movies as the other original members. Despite getting top billing along with the other returning actors, Li's Yin Yang left the story following the opening sequence, with the character hinting that he might not return to the team.

One of the most experienced members of the original cast of The Expendables, Jet Li had a career spanning several decades in China before being cast in 1998's Lethal Weapon 4 alongside Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. Li's early exit in The Expendables 2 signaled the beginning of the end of his involvement in the franchise. According to direct Simon West, the exit was simply due to scheduling conflicts (via Fandom Wire).

Arnold Schwarzenegger (Trench)

The Terminator Actor Thought Returning Would Be Too Time-Consuming

Arnold Schwarzenegger was less of a full-fledged member of The Expendables cast and more of a recurring cameo in all the movies. His first appearance as Trench was in a single scene in the first movie, where he shared the screen with Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis. He played a more significant role in The Expendables 2, where he even got involved in the action in the climax. He returned to The Expendables 3 for another small role, but Schwarzenegger didn't return in The Expendables 4, marking the first time he was absent from the franchise.

Schwarzenegger revealed that he didn't return for the fourquel because he thought it'd have been too time-consuming (via Parade). He admitted that he was featured in the first movie as "a favor to Sly. I shot it on a Saturday for two hours quickly in a church with Bruce Willis," but the sequels featured the Terminator actor more and more, and Schwarzenegger wanted to avoid that.

Actors Who Joined Expend4bles

50 Cent & Megan Fox Had Major Roles

Though many big names didn't return for the fourth entry in the franchise, The Expendables 4 cast brings in a lot of new faces. 50 Cent joins The Expendables franchise as Easy Day. Megan Fox also joins the team as Gina, who shares a romantic past with Jason Statham's Lee Christmas. Other exciting additions to The Expendables universe include some accomplished international action stars.

Tony Jaa and Iko Uwais will brought their considerable action talents to The Expendables 4. Jaa played Decha Unai, a former member of the team, whereas Uwais took the role of an antagonist, Suarto Rahmat, who worked alongside the movie's main. Oscar nominee Andy Garcia added some gravitas to the ensemble as Marsh, a CIA handler who contracts the Expendables. Finally, Vietnamese actress Levy Tran joined the cast as new team member Lash.

Is Sylvester Stallone Leaving The Expendables?

While He May Return, His Role Will Likely Be Diminished

The future of Sylvester Stallone in The Expendables franchise remains a topic of uncertainty. Although Stallone has been a central figure since its inception, his role saw a notable shift in Expend4bles. Barney Ross's role is diminished, signaling a possible stepping back from the spotlight and handing over the franchise's lead to Jason Statham's Lee Christmas. This change has sparked rumors about Stallone's continued involvement. Some believe that Expend4bles marks his final appearance, which seems plausible, especially considering the narrative decision to reduce Ross's presence and elevate Lee Christmas as the new central protagonist.

On the other hand, as Ross's "death" in Expend4bles turned out to be fake, Stallone might not be done with the franchise just yet. However, without explicit confirmation from Stallone or the producers, his exact future remains a compelling question mark. Ultimately, whether The Expendables 5 moves forward with Stallone or fully transitions to Statham's leadership, it is clear that the franchise is at a pivotal juncture. The decisions made now will shape the direction of future installments, potentially redefining the series for a new generation of action movie fans.

Expend4bles

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The Expendables 4 is the fourth entry in the action legacy-hero franchise, bringing together famous action-hero stars from the past and present to battle international terrorist threats. This fourth entry sees the mercenary group dragged into a catastrophic nuclear conflict between the United States and Russia, forcing them to intervene.

Director

Scott Waugh

Release Date

September 22, 2023

Studio(s)

Millennium Media , Campbell Grobman Films

Distributor(s)

Lionsgate

Writers

Spenser Cohen , John Joseph Connolly , Max Adams

Cast

Dolph Lundgren , Randy Couture , Eddie Hall , Sylvester Stallone , Levy Tran , Iko Uwais , tony jaa , Sheila Shah , Jacob Scipio , Jason Statham , Andy Garcia , Megan Fox , 50 Cent

Runtime

103 Minutes

Franchise(s)

The Expendables

prequel(s)

The Expendables , The Expendables 2 , The Expendables 3

Budget

$100 million