Sylvester Stallone Being Killed In Expendables 4?
Is Expendables 4 going to kill off Sylvester Stallone?
This article is more than 2 years old
Not much is known about Expendables 4 outside of some of the casting and that it will begin production this October. Some have theories of what to expect, but one of the most interesting involves Sylvester Stallone (The Suicide Squad) getting killed off to make room for new leadership.
Screen Rant published its theory today (September 9) on The Expendables 4. Jason Statham (Wrath of Man) was set to have his standalone spin-off, but now it is sidelined for him to take a more prominent role in the upcoming installment of the explosive franchise. As Sylvester Stallone takes a more supportive role this time around, the idea is that we could see him axed to move Statham forward into the spotlight. The other piece is that the last movie saw him step up into the second in command position right under the Rocky star, so maybe he continues to move forward into the new head of the group.
If the franchise needs a breath of fresh air, letting new stars take lead could prove to be crucial. A great way to do that is to kill off Sylvester Stallone. With his love for the action and trying to exit in the third entry, but sticking around when Terry Crews’ (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) Caesar was injured, he may need a lethal departure.
One issue the franchise has had is killing off its core cast. Despite the name, Sylvester Stallone and his team have managed to complete missions without much heavy loss. Raising the stakes by killing Sylvester Stallone could help pick up the attention of the audience to revitalize the franchise.
Narratively, the theory turns into a revenge-driven direction. Killing Sylvester Stallone could open for a more character-driven story where the heroes avenge the death of their fallen comrade.
Introducing a new cast of characters with the death of Sylvester Stallone as Barney Ross could pass the torch to fresh faces. The Expendables 4 will introduce Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson (For Life), Megan Fox (Till Death), and Tony Jaa (Monster Hunter). While we don’t know much about who the new stars will play as we could see one or all of them take a prominent role in future installments.
There is not much concrete information on the blockbuster. So far, besides the newcomers, we know Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren (Aquaman), and Randy Couture (Alpha Code) will reprise their roles since 2014’s third installment. Scott Waugh (6 Below: Miracle on the Mountain) is set to direct. Spenser Cohen (Extinction) wrote the initial script with revisions by Max Adams (Extraction) and John Joseph Connolly making his debut.
The Expendables 4 needs to succeed regardless of keeping Sylvester Stallone or not for future movies. The franchise has never performed too hot at the box office but has managed to make sequels with its star-studded cast that has previously featured Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminator: Dark Fate), Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge), and Harrison Ford (Blade Runner 2049). The first installment grossed $274 million worldwide, the second improved with $314 million, and went back down with the third entry’s $214 million.
