The Expendables 4 director Scott Waugh believes that the latest entry may not necessarily be the last of its star Sylvester Stallone.
While the potential of a fifth movie in The Expendables franchise is not greenlit yet, Expend4bles director Scott Waugh recently discussed the potential of its lead star Sylvester Stallone’s possible return in the future.
The latest fourth film introduces a thematic transition, with Barney Ross, played by Stallone, passing the torch to Lee Christmas, portrayed Jason Statham, mirroring Stallone’s apparent passing of the franchise to Statham. In an interview with Moviefone, Waugh referred to the shift as only a natural progression, allowing Stallone to manage his commitments effectively.
Waugh talked about Stallone’s current involvement with the franchise, applauding his remarkable physical prowess at his age and the significance of time in Stallone’s life. Appreciating his dedicated time for the film, he said, “Stallone still amazes me, his physical capability at his age. It’s still unbelievable to me. I’m 53 and busted up, and somehow he is in his late seventies and can still do it. But I think for Sly, he’s in a place in his life where time is super important to him. Being on the full run of an Expendables movie takes up a lot of his time and I fully respect that.”
“I think the idea that Stallone’s passing this to Statham is exciting,” he mentioned, reflecting his honest view of the apparent perception. He assured that the superstar is still a significant part of the franchise having kicked it off in the beginning. Waugh said, “Jason’s my age and really is still excited about continually working a lot. So it was a natural pass. Now, I’ll say, I definitely don’t think Sly is out of the brand. I think Sly will always be a part of it. He’s the starter of The Expendables and the original director. So I think it’s new blood with the old.”
Despite Waugh’s statement, it should be noted that Stallone has already dropped hints that Expend4bles may be his final appearance. Notably, the cast of Expendables franchise has been undergoing discouraging changes with the subsequent installments. In addition to Stallone, the initial entries also featured some of the biggest action stars including Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Harrison Ford, but none of these other actors returned for the recent installment.
What Will Happen With The Expendables?
The future of The Expendables series also gets in a tricky situation, given The Expendables 4’s critical and commercial failure. The film has been gaining the harshest reception of the entire series, holding a mere 15% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and experiencing a lackluster single digit box office opening. These circumstances cast a shadow of uncertainty over the prospects of an Expendables 5, making Stallone’s return both unlikely and mandatory, in order to revive the series.