In the last decade, a couple of new and exciting action franchises emerged. There was John Wick, there was The Raid, and then there was The Expendables. The latter was the brainchild of Sylvester Stallone, who managed to convince a good number of the most popular action stars of all time to play supporting characters as he played the main man.
The franchise performed quite well, but after three films, there have been questions on whether another film is really needed. Is the trilogy enough or is there a need to drag things out a bit more? Here is why the franchise should continue, and why it should come to an end.
End It: The Action Genre Has Evolved
So far, the franchise has still been characterized by the '80s and '90s action movie tropes. Seeing Jean Claude Van Damme kicking a knife into someone's chest might have been euphoric years ago but at the moment, it comes off as absurd and laughable.
Audiences are no longer interested in action heroes that are impossible to beat. Audiences want flawed heroes. Audiences also want action sequences that appear very likely to happen in real life, not those that only seem possible in a movie.
Continue: For The Sake Of Nostalgia
There is so much content in the current movie and TV landscape. Since audiences get to see new characters every single day, it might be easy to forget the characters that entertained us just a few decades ago. Good things shouldn't be forgotten and that's why the Expendables franchise is so important.
When Bruce Willis shows up on screen as Mr. Church, audiences remember John McLane hunting terrorist in a hotel. When Chuck Norris jokes how a cobra bit him and died, audiences remember Colonel James Bradock heading to Vietnam to rescue prisoners of war.
End It: The Lads Are Getting Old
Yes, the lads are getting too old for this. Most of our favorite action stars from the '80s and '70s are above 60 years old. The only younger regular actors in the franchise are Jason Statham and Terry Crews. It's hard to forget how Sylvester Stallone struggled in the most recent Rambo film.
The contribution of actors like Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger to the genre can never be forgotten. However, roles that require them to be more laid back suit them better at this time. When Stallone decided to be just a just a trainer and not the man throwing the punches in Creed, he won a Golden Globe.
Continue: There Are Still Many More Action Stars To Include
There are many more action stars that fans would love to see in a fourth film. With all the good work he's been doing in the John Wick films, Keanu Reeves would be a great addition. There's Denzel Washington too, who has been taking on bad guys in movies for decades.
It's also impossible not to think of Jackie Chan. It's surprising that he hasn't appeared in this franchise yet. There's Liam Neeson too, the man all kidnappers fear. All these actors would do well in an Expendables film, so long as the script makes good use of them.
End It: To Make Way For An Expendables TV Show
There have been rumors of an Expendables TV show for a couple of years now. However, it appears to be in development hell. It would be great if focus was shifted to the TV show instead of a fourth film. Getting to see some of the most popular television action stars working together would be mind blowing...
From Kiefer Sutherland to Sullivan Stapleton to Maggie Q, there are dozens of names that deserve to be in a series like this. Since Fox is rumored to be the network behind it, their chances of flopping are minimal. Fox has a good track record.
Continue: A New Vision
Stallone might not be returning for the next film in any capacity. During a previous interview with Deadline, Stallone stated that he might not return for the fourth film due to disagreements with the Nu Image/Millennium company over the most appropriate director and screenwriter. Ideally, this shouldn't be something worthy of a celebration, but it is.
Stallone co-wrote all the previous films, and therein lies the problem. Data from Rotten Tomatoes shows that all the films in which Stallone has starred and also served as a screenwriter have received negative or average reviews from critics. Perhaps what is needed to keep the franchise interesting is a fresh vision from a fresh mind.
End It: The Last Film Was Really Bad
Expendables 3 was quite unimpressive. On Rotten Tomatoes, it had a score of 32%, which is the lowest in the franchise. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted that he didn't like it. He ended up being nominated for Worst Supporting Actor at the Golden Raspberry Awards.
And he wasn't the only person in the film to get that nomination. Mel Gibson and Kelsey Grammer found themselves in the Hall Of Shame too. On IMDb, the movie has a rating of 6.1, which is also the worst in the franchise.
Continue: The Box Office Numbers Still Look Good
All the three Expendables films have had production budgets of less than $100 million and they've all grossed more than $200 million. The second film even crossed the $300 million mark. This proves that the franchise is very profitable and if there is money to be made, why not make it?
Box office revenues are a direct reflection of fan interest. Fans are obviously interested in seeing several muscled action stars sharing the screen and trying to be both funny and badass at the same time. So bring it on. Give the people what they want.
End It: The Big Names Are Done With The Franchise Anyway
Arnold Schwarzenegger has stated that he has no plans to return. This is probably because of the criticism he received after Expendables 3. Bruce Willis also left the franchise after the second film due to disagreements with Schwarzenegger. As for Chuck Norris, it doesn't seem like he's planning on coming out of retirement.
Jean Claude Van Damme's character died, so he's definitely never coming back. Jet Li has been having health problems, so there is that. Then there is the Stallone issue. These guys were the biggest action stars before the turn of the millennium, and they all might not be coming back.
Continue: Team-Ups Have Become Part Of The Culture
It all started with the Avengers. More often than not, a single protagonist always gets the job done. But what if there were several? Fans have become accustomed to seeing several powerful characters all working together to fight a common enemy.
Crossovers have even become popular between movies and TV shows that were produced by the same company. These things team ups often work than fail, so it wouldn't make sense to end a franchise that somehow adheres to the idea of the team work. Keep it going.