Sylvester Stallone failed to pull in a decent-sized crowd with his solo vehicle Bullet to the Head, but he shouldn't have that same problem on his forthcoming "team efforts"; that includes The Expendables 3, which Sly is actively writing and plans to get into production before the year is out.

He's lined up new additions like Jackie Chan to join the guns-blazing party, but we haven't head anything yet about Expendables 2 director Simon West possibly returning (or any director candidates in consideration, for that matter). However, Sly recently posed an intriguing question on his official Twitter account, in hopes of getting some fan feedback - which is appropriate, given that Expendables is THE epitome of a fan-service franchise (something the sequel wisely played up).

Sly Tweeted a joke about Mel Gibson directing Expendables 5, before posting the following:

No , I was kiddiing about , but seriously , what about Mel Gibson directing EXPENDABLES 3?Opinions anyone ?Curious.....— Sylvester Stallone (@TheSlyStallone) April 11, 2013

Gibson's much-publicized personal problems have overshadowed his recent film work and left him struggling to find employment (onscreen, anyway), outside of his three leading roles over the past decade - in the lesser-seen (but generally well-received) Edge of Darkness, The Beaver and Get the Gringo - following the years he devoted to directing The Passion of the Christ, Apocalypto and episodes of the television series Complete Savages.

Mel Gibson filming Apocalypto
Mel Gibson filming 'Apocalypto'

He stands to make an acting comeback later this year, by playing a James Bond-esque villain in Robert Rodriguez' Machete Kills; that's to say, now wouldn't be a bad time for "Crazy Mel" to announce his next filmmaking venture, especially one with surefire broad commercial appeal like Expendables 3. That's not to say he's truly in the running for the job at this time, but the power of the Internet shouldn't be under-estimated (see: Michael Bay casting Mark Wahlberg in Transformers 4, after rumors began circulating online).

Personally, Gibson directing Expendables 3 sounds fine by me. To paraphrase a line from South Park: say what you want about Gibson's shortcomings as a person, but the man understands the art of cinematic storytelling, and his directorial efforts to date have featured everything you could want from a good Expendables movie: well-executed action, engaging drama and humor, all infused with a sort of insane passion that makes everything happening onscreen seem genuinely off-the-wall and crazy (just like you remember the best old-school beefy action movies back in the day).

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How about it: do YOU want Mel Gibson to direct The Expendables 3? Let us know in the comments section!

Source: Sylvester Stallone