Van Damme rejected the original Expendables though, feeling the part he was offered wasn't juicy enough. He later signed on for the 2012 sequel, giving the franchise its best villain as a ruthless mercenary who is still, to date, the only antagonist to actually kill one of the team.
Stallone gave Van Damme a very fitting name for his character too, which beats out all of his previous films. Some of his memorable character names include serial killer Edward Garrotte from Replicant, Gibson Rickenbacker from Cyborg, and Jean-Clawed from Minions: The Rise of Gru. There was also Hard Target's Chance Boudreaux, where Van Damme's hero explained his unusual moniker came about because "Well... my momma took one."
The Rock In An Expendables Movie Would’ve Continued The Franchise’s Best Villain Trend That Began With Jean-Claude Van Damme
Dwayne Johnson once revealed his dream role in The Expendables, and it would continue a villain trend that began back with the second film.
Jean-Claude Van Damme’s The Expendables 2 Villain Is Called Jean Vilain
JCVD's antagonist has a very fitting name
Considering the franchise is an homage to the bombastic action blockbusters of the 1980s and 1990s, it's fitting the characters don't have very subtle names. Terry Crews' merc is dubbed Hale Caesar, Steve Austin's henchman is Dan Paine while Wesley Snipes' knife-wielding Expendables is called Doctor Death. Van Damme beats them all with the name Jean Vilain. That's right: The Expendables 2's main villain is actually called Vilain.
Co-screenwriters Stallone and Richard Wenk must have been very proud to have coined such a name. The Expendables 2 is arguably the best of the saga, as it dropped the somewhat self-serious tone of the first film and embraced the silliness. It was by no means flawless; some of the gags are exceedingly cringeworthy and there's too much distracting CGI blood during the action. Still, it's the most purely enjoyable installment, and having a bad guy called Vilain lets audiences know exactly how seriously they should be taking it.
Jean-Claude Van Damme Was A Great Villain In The Expendables 2 (Despite The Name)
Van Damme brought real menace to the sociopathic Vilain
The name is designed to elicit chuckles, but Van Damme's Vilain still made for an excellent villain. He might be best known for his action roles, but there's a case to be made Van Damme is one of the best actors to emerge from the 1980s run that produced stars like Arnie or Dolph Lundgren. He proved his chops as a dramatic performer many times with movies like JCVD or Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, and in The Expendables 2 Van Damme brings both unpredictable humor and real menace to the part.
Jean-Claude Van Damme pitched the idea that his character Jean Villain had a twin brother called Claude who could appear in a future Expendables movie; sadly, JVCD has yet to return to the saga.
The star reportedly improvised much of his dialogue too, and Vilain switches between quirky humor and casual violence. He toys with poor Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) before stabbing him in the chest and is willing to work miners to death so he can recover some weapons-grade plutonium. The character revels in his own nastiness, and it feels quite satisfying when Stallone's team leader Barney avenges Billy in The Expendables 2's finale and takes a head-shaped souvenir from Vilain's body.
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The Expendables 2
7/10- Release Date
- August 12, 2012
- Runtime
- 1h 43m
- Director
- Simon West
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingRENTBUYThe Expendables 2 reunites some of the most famous action stars in movie history in an explosive mission to stop Jean Claude Van Damme's terrorist leader Jean Vilain. This time, Sylvester Stallone's Barney Ross is accompanied not only by teammates such as Jason Statham's Lee Christmas, Dolph Lundgren's Gunner Jensen, and Terry Crews' Hale Caesar, but also by old friends like Arnold Schwarzenegger's Trench Ma, Bruce Willis' Mr. Church, and Chuck Norris' Booker.
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The Expendables
The Expendables is an American action film franchise created by David Callaham and Sylvester Stallone. It revolves around a team of elite mercenaries and serves as an homage to 1980s and 1990s blockbuster action films, featuring iconic action stars. The franchise includes four films, released between 2010 and 2023, along with comic books, video games, and potential spin-offs, including a canceled all-female film. Known for its ensemble cast and explosive action, The Expendables celebrates both classic and modern action heroes.
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