Summary

• The producer defends Sylvester Stallone's reduced role in Expendables 4, claiming it was a creative choice that added a unique twist to the story.
• Stallone's limited screen time in the movie was a function of the script and story, not a decision to the torch or exclude him from future installments.
• The movie's poor reception and commercial performance can be attributed, at least in part, to Stallone's reduced involvement in the writing and on-screen presence.

Expendables 4 producer Les Weldon defends Sylvester Stallone’s reduced role in the latest installment. The action movie series, which launched in 2010, follows a group of first-rate mercenaries who carry out various clandestine and dangerous operations. The movies feature a stacked ensemble cast of action stars, such as Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, and Stallone, who stars in the lead role. Stallone returned for the fourth time, albeit with very limited screen time.

Speaking to JoBlo, Weldon explains that Stallone’s reduced role was a function of the script and the story. The producer defends that the choice gives a good twist to the story and believes that the movie was better for it. Read his full comment below:

“Look, it wasn’t so much that we said, oh, we got to the torch here, because, you know, we were thinking what is a good story for here? And we say ing of the torch, but that doesn’t mean, you know, that that’s forever the direction we’re going. It just happened to be the best story we had all put together that we had all thought about, and even though there is that element in there, it was a function of the script and the story. We didn’t want to make a mistake of, well, bring in this actor or bring in that actor and try to jam them in here. This story came out organically, and Sly was all up for it, and it gives a good twist to the story and was just something that felt very organic and natural for this Expendables.”

Sylvester Stallone’s Role In The Expendables 4, Explained

Since the inception of the Expendables franchise, Sylvester Stallone has been a key figure in the movie series both in front and behind the camera. Aside from playing Barney Ross (the main character in the first three entries in the series), the 77-year-old actor also co-wrote those movies along with other writers, including David Callaham, Richard Wenk, and Katrin Benedikt. However, for the first time since the series began, Stallone was not involved in the writing process for The Expendables 4, and he got very limited screen time.

After assembling a new team that includes 50 Cent, Megan Fox, and Andy Garcia, Stallone’s character seemingly dies pretty early into the movie, leaving Lee Christmas (Jason Statham) as the movie's main character. However, Stallone’s character surprisingly appears in Expendables 4's ending, revealing that he only faked his death to deceive the tricky villain.

Expendables 4 hasn’t received favorable reviews since its release in September. The movie has an abysmal 13% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with many critics and audiences criticizing the movie's vastly uninspiring action sequences and poor CGI effects. The poor reception resonated commercially, grossing only $42 million worldwide against a budget of $100 million even a couple of weeks after its release. While there are many issues wrong with Expendables 4, it’s undeniable that Stallone's absence is a key contributing factor.

Source: JoBlo