We may have seen actor/director Sylvester Stallone wrap his role in The Expendables 4, as well as the franchise in general. That doesn’t mean the man who gave us Barney Ross is going to stop giving us gifts pertaining to the action series he helped bring to stunningly violent life. While Barney and his heavy ring might be headed off to greener pastures, Stallone is still very much invested in the expendable future, as seen in a recent fight sequence he choreographed for star Jason Statham, in a cool behind-the-scenes video.
In an Instagram post from the day before he finished his time on the movie, Sylvester Stallone talked out a fight scene that was about to be filmed on the same set he said goodbye on. Clearly, from that video, we know the scene was a success, and all is right in the world of this third sequel to the Stallone-led ensemble of destruction. But if you want a little more detail as to what that scene contained, here’s Sly discussing the finer points of Jason Statham’s impending bar brawl:
Reporting at the time from an on-set shoot in London, Sylvester Stallone shows off the bar known as Tainted Spoke, while discussing his approach to the action of the film. With this bar brawl being described as a more “simplistic” fight that will see the Hobbs and Shaw actor's stand-in punishing some thugs with a pair of brass knuckles, we can already see debris and damage littering the frame. The actor even apologizes to a stunt performer he calls “Jumbo Shrimp,” as this gentleman is apparently going to bear the brunt of this beating from Statham’s Lee Christmas. Looks like Lee’s newly enhanced importance in the franchise comes with more of the responsibilities you’d expect.
Judging by the timing, it looks like The Expendables 4 filmed the more intense moments of that scene in one day and may have gotten the actor-centric action on camera the day that Sylvester Stallone finished up. Which is fitting, because Stallone and Jason Statham were two of the action leads that anchored The Expendables back when it was released in 2010. Just a little over a decade later, this changing of the guard is a bittersweet occasion indeed.
The two stars aren’t the only established leads returning in the fourth film, either. With franchise veterans like Dolph Lundgren and Randy Couture along for the ride, their respective warriors are also ready for more, should they make it out of this new adventure alive and well. And should the ever busy Jason Statham potentially need someone else to take the baton as the new team leader, the series could see either Lundgren or Couture filling the bill.
Then again, if those behind the film really wanted to really surprise the crowds ready to pack the theaters for The Expendables 4, they could make newly minted member Megan Fox the leader. Anything could happen at this point, as no one knows what’s going to happen in a post-Sylvester Stallone Expendables franchise.
At this moment, no one outside of the cast knows when will arrive, though it is being slated for a 2022 release. Don’t let that put you off of taking a peek into the future, as the 2022 movie schedule is still available in its current form. While changes may still be in the works, it doesn’t hurt to see which pieces are in play.
