For now, in just 4 days of release, The Expendables has grossed almost $40 million in domestic box office. The Expendables 2 is already being planned to be done. The film featured a collection of past and present action stars like Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, Mickey Rourke, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis. Although it was an impressive cast to gather, some action stars didn’t appear, specifically fan-favorites Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal.
Why didn’t the film include this big old-school actions stars? Weren’t they invited to join? Was there no room for them? What happened?
According to another British “report” — quotations used because these things only seem accurate maybe half the time — Sly says the two ’80s action stars weren’t involved because the lacked the right sense of humor.
WENN shares a report from Britain’s Sunday Times, where Stallone says: “I wanted to set Jean-Claude against Jet Li, but he didn’t want to lose to Jet. He didn’t think that was cool. But that’s why it would be cool; to have Jean-Claude beaten by the other man. Hey, they could have a rematch. But Steven Seagal and Van Damme, they weren’t really into our gallows humor.”
I loved the film. Still I felt, like many of you, that JCVD and Seagal should’ve been in this one. If Stallone did in fact invite them to join (I believe he did), then by refusing it, they kept themselves from participating in a number #1 film. Wouldn’t both of these aging stars need/want the #1 movie in the US right about now? I hope they jump back for The Expendables 2, regardless of who wins, loses, lives or dies in the film’s plot.
Do you think they made the right choice by refusing? Should they try to be in The Expendables 2? Do you believe they refused for this reason? Do you believe Stallone did invited them?
