Summary

• Expendables 4 repeated the same mistake as Escape Plan 2 by reducing Sylvester Stallone's role, which hurt the movie's overall quality.
• Both Expendables 4 and Escape Plan 2 failed to recoup their budgets and killed their respective franchises.
• The next Expendables - assuming it happens - should learn from Escape Plan's failures, including increasing Stallone's involvement and delivering great action setpieces.

movies should be any action fan's dream, since they pull together some of the most iconic actors in the genre. In reality, the series has never lived up to its full premise, thanks to over-edited action, a reliance on CGI and stilted humor.

That said, they can be fun with the right mindset. Sadly, Expendables 4 appears to have killed the franchise early, with the 2023 sequel failing to recoup its budget. The film also attempted to promote Jason Statham to the lead role, but Expendables 4's lackluster script and action gave him little to work with. Where the saga can go next is currently in question, but there's a good chance The Expendables series is done.

Both Expendables 4 & Escape Plan 2 Reduced Stallone To A Cameo Appearance

Both movies mis-sold the size of Stallone's role

Expendables 4 bizarrely downgraded franchise creator Stallone as well, with his character Barney "dying" during the first act. The story eventually reveals this was just a ploy and Barney is alive and well, but it's a decision that hurt the movie. Stallone's role in Expendables 4 is basically a cameo, but considering his scenes with Statham are the only ones that work, this proves what a mistake this decision was. Expendables 4 made the same error as 2018's Escape Plan 2, which also reduced Stallone to a guest appearance despite his top billing.

Escape Plan is Stallone's weirdest franchise, where he plays escape specialist Ray Breslin. The first entry was a big-budget theatrical release which bombed in America but was a surprise hit overseas. The following two entries went STV in the U.S. but had theatrical pushes in countries like China. Stallone returned for both, but while he's prominently featured in the marketing for Escape Plan 2 and 3, calling Stallone the main character of either is generous.

Escape Plan 2 and 3 are currently available to stream on Netflix.

In fact, for Escape Plan 2, Stallone only filmed for three days (via an interview with director Steven C. Miller at The Chattering Hour) and has a mere 15 minutes of screentime throughout. Of course, the scenes with Stallone are still the best the sequel has to offer so the poor reviews Escape Plan 2 received often cited his limited appearance as a major problem.

Expendables 4 & Escape Plan 2 Both Killed Their Franchises

Future entries in either The Expendables or Escape Plan series are doubtful

Expendables 4 and Escape Plan 2 had plenty of problems aside from the lack of Stallone - but they have the same fundamental issue. They both tried to replace Stallone with a younger star, while also trying to cash in on his name. Stallone's appearance in Expendables 4 hurts the sequel, since he's so compelling to watch, then when Barney "dies" his absence leaves a void that none of the other cast can fill.

Escape Plan 2 received such terrible reviews that even Stallone took to Instagram to slam it, and the sequel didn't gross back its $20 million budget. Stallone took a more active role in the third outing, but despite being much cheaper to produce at around $4 million, it still failed to turn a profit. It received slightly warmer notices than Escape Plan 2, but its reception only confirmed how much the latter had hurt the brand.

Expendables 4 itself was supposed to redeem the property following the mixed reception the third film received. Instead, the sequel is considered the nadir of the series, and it's hard to see where it can go next. There are reports of a fifth Expendables being developed, but it would need to be a creative overhaul to fix what part four broke or to lure back scorned viewers.

The Next Expendables Must Avoid Escape Plan's Fate

How could Expendables 5 work?

Stallone's Escape Plan movies were never as successful as The Expendables, as their shift to STV shows. Even so, Expendables 4 tried to pull the same move as Escape Plan 2 in diminishing Stallone's involvement. This worked poorly in both cases and while Escape Plan still squeezed out another sequel, that also bombed, proving the damage was done. Stallone is key to what made Expendables work, and while he'll likely scale back on the action portion of his role moving forward, he can still take a more creative role.

Stallone's next sequel will be the very belated Cliffhanger 2.

The Expendables 5 should return to basics, focusing on a limited cast of characters - played by action luminaries, naturally - and deliver truly great setpieces. Maybe Stallone should step back behind the camera too, which is a role he hasn't stepped into since the first installment. Escape Plan offers a roap for how not to build a franchise, and it's one that the producers of The Expendables would do well to follow.

Source: The Chattering Hour, Sly Stallone Instagram