It’s pretty common knowledge that Sylvester Stallone took on a smaller role in the recent fourth installment of The Expendables (unfortunately titled Expend4bles), which has created opportunities for new characters to shine – but it’s also left some reminiscing over the days when Stallone was front and center.
So why the change of pace in the new film? Here’s what’s said about the movie’s choice to switch things up.
Why Sylvester Stallone’s Reduced Expendables Role Served a Purpose
When speaking with JoBlo, Expend4bles producer Les Weldon addressed the on-screen shift for Stallone’s role, revealing, “Look, it wasn’t so much that we said, ‘oh, we got to pass the torch here,’ because, you know, we were thinking ‘what is a good story for here?’ And we say passing of the torch, but that doesn’t mean, you know, that that’s forever the direction we’re going. It just happened to be the best story we had all put together that we had all thought about, and even though there is that element in there, it was a function of the script and the story. We didn’t want to make a mistake of, well, bring in this actor or bring in that actor and try to jam them in here. This story came out organically, and [Stallone] was all up for it, and it gives a good twist to the story and was just something that felt very organic and natural for this Expendables.”
During an interview with Cinema Express, veteran Expendables actor Jason Statham also discussed the complicated need to pivot, telling the publication, “In this particular story, he is absent for reasons we don’t talk about; we have to guide ourselves through the ocean without him. There is something about not having him around that doesn’t feel right. So, we are getting through, the story is the story, we are trying to do our best, but the best days are when he is on set.”
Did you miss Stallone being a leading role in the newest entry?