The “Expendables” franchise has one hell of an impressive cast of recognizable actors. The first film was released on one very simple promise — to reunite as many ’80s and ’90s action film stars as possible and see them kick all kinds of ass. The film featured Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, and other stars in an ultra-macho, testosterone-exuding action franchise.
One big ’80s star who’s never become an Expendable is Kurt Russell, but not for lack of trying. Russell actually turned Stallone down for a role in “The Expendables,” with the star of “Escape from New York” citing that he was “not interested in ‘ensemble acting’ at this time.” Of course, he’d change his mind just a couple of years later when Russell signed up to join the “Fast & Furious” franchise — known for its ensemble cast.
Speaking with IGN, Russell once talked about this decision and explained that these franchises are appealing to very different things. “I’ve never seen any of [the ‘Expendables’ movies], Russel said. “It’s not a beat I get. It’s like looking backwards to me.”
As for “Fast & Furious,” Russell looks at its audience for proof of what the franchise does best. “It has that mystery to me — and it’s for a funny audience, you know? It’s for a 15 to… 30? I think now you can take that from 15 to 45, and I think that’s what’s interesting about that. I like the way Vin talks about it — it’s a saga. It’s not a series, it’s a saga.”
It’s all about family
This isn’t to say Russell was eager to just join the “Fast & Furious” fambly. In fact, he needed some convincing before he said yes to the family barbecue. Still, movie fans won in the end. Russell joined the “Fast” franchise at the right time, playing the enigmatic Mr. Nobody, a great addition to the ensemble, a straight-faced father figure that could keep the rest of the rowdy cast of racers-turned-robbers-turned-international-spies under some semblance of calmness and control.
As for his comparison between “Fast & Furious” and “The Expendables,” Russell isn’t wrong. As fun and full of blood as Stallone’s franchise is, there’s no denying that these movies rely on older fans and nostalgia for decades-long movies. It’s a gimmick. An occasionally enjoyable gimmick, sure, but a gimmick nonetheless.
Then there’s “Fast & Furious,” a movie series that throws continuity out the window for the sake of fun, that turns actors into stars rather than rely on established star-power, that understands how powerful a very stupid line can be, and that a (relatively) revolving cast of characters means longevity — as seen by the ten (and counting) entries in the series.