Summary

  • The Expendables 4 cast introduces new names like Megan Fox and 50 Cent, breaking away from the action star formula of the previous movies.
  • Sylvester Stallone's character Barney will play a smaller role in The Expendables 4, with Jason Statham's Christmas taking on the franchise lead position.
  • Notable actors like Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, Terry Crews, Jet Li, and Arnold Schwarzenegger have departed from the franchise, while new actors like Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, and Andy Garcia join the ensemble for the fourth installment.

The Expendables 4 cast continues the star-studded approach of the franchise but the lineup has changed many times through the series. 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 cast will break away from the action icon formula, opting for names like Megan Fox and 50 Cent.

The Expendables 4 will also mark a passing of the guard. Stallone stepped back from the sequel creatively, while his character Barney will play a much smaller role. Jason Statham's Christmas will instead step 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 wouldn't be the first time in the saga's history a major character didn't return either, as several co-stars passed on planned repeat appearances.

RELATED: 6 Actors Who Almost Played The Expendables 4 Villain

Mickey Rourke (Tool)

Mickey Rourke in The Expendables

Mickey Rourke played a small but key 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 return for Expendables 2 also, 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 later quit that project too after clashing with the director. Tool's Expendables 2 role was later rewritten and became Liam Hemsworth's ill-fated sniper Billy The Kid.

Bruce Willis (Mr. Church)

Bruce Willis stands in front of candles in a church in The Expendables.

The original Expendables cast featured the long-awaited union of Stallone, Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis on the big screen. Willis played Mr. Church in the first two outings, a menacing CIA agent who recruits Barney's team for dangerous missions. Church got more involved in the action for Expendables 2, but while the character was set to return for the third movie, Willis eventually passed. It was reported at the time that Willis demanded $4 million for four days of work, and passed on an offer of $3 million. Stallone seemingly confirmed this at the time, 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 states in his opening scene that "Church is out of the picture." Had Willis returned, it's likely his role would have mirrored that of Drummer in the final film, who recruits Barney to chase after Mel Gibson's arms dealer. Sadly, Willis ended up retiring from acting 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)

Terry Crews in The Expendables

Many actors were considered for the Hale Caesar role in The Expendables, including Wesley Snipes and 50 Cent. While Caesar was never a major character, Terry Crews brought a genuine charisma to the part. 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)

Jet Li in The Expendables 3

Jet Li was one of the most accomplished action stars in the original 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. Li's early exit in The Expendables 2 signaled the beginning of the end of his involvement in the franchise. Yin returned for an even smaller role in The Expendables 3 cast where it is revealed he is working with Arnold Schwarzenegger's Trench.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (Trench)

Arnold-Schwarzenegger in Expendables 4 smoking a cigar and leaning against a plane

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 went on to have a bigger role in The Expendables 2 where he even got in on the action in the climax. He returned to The Expendables 3 for another small role, but Schwarzenegger will not return in The Expendables 4, marking the first time he was absent from the franchise.

Actors Joining The Expendables

The Expendables 4 poster image

Though there will be a lot of big names not returning for the next entry in the franchise, The Expendables 4 cast also brings in a lot of new faces to the franchise. After coming close to being cast as Hale Caesar in the original movie, 50 Cent finally joins The Expendables franchise as a new character, Easy Day. Megan Fox also joins the team as Gina, the latest female member of the team who seems to share a romantic past with Jason Statham's Lee Christmas.

Some other exciting additions to The Expendables universe include some hugely accomplished international action stars. Tony Jaa and Iko Uwais will bring their considerable action talents to the fourth entry while Oscar nominee Andy Garcia adds some gravitas to the ensemble as a character named Marsh. Overall, it is an exciting collection of actors for the latest installment and will be fun to see what they all bring to The Expendables 4.