The action franchise that should have been Statham's action debut in John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars would then later set him on a different path entiriely.

He might be typecast in the genre, but Statham doesn't appear to mind that one bit. He is one of the biggest action stars in the world, with his name alone is all but guaranteed to pull in an audience. There are many Jason Statham action franchises in existence too, where he is either part of an ensemble - like the Fast & Furious saga - or he's the sole lead. Statham is as popular as ever, with The Beekeeper's $152 million haul (via The Numbers) giving him his most successful film outside of his many franchises.

Jason Statham’s Franchises Have All Been Box Office Hits (Minus Expendables)

Expendables 4's failure abruptly ended the ensemble series

In the same way Statham's regular co-star (and pal) Sylvester Stallone built his career around series like Rocky or Rambo, Statham has a reliable collection of franchises for himself. While he appears finished with The Transporter or Crank films, the star still has properties like The Meg to return to. There's also a good chance The Beekeeper 2 will happen, and Statham will be reuniting with Beekeeper helmer David Ayer for the novel adaptation Levon's Trade, which could spawn a new series too.

The above franchises will see that Statham is gainfully employed for the foreseeable future, but one series that probably won't return is The Expendables. Stallone created this ensemble saga as a way for legendary action stars to work together, with the poster for each outing boasting names like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Harrison Ford and many more. The Expendables should be - given the talent involved - Statham's best franchise, but more often than not it's been disappointing.

The Expendables 4 was a witless, lazy cash grab with some appallingly undercooked CGI...

The first and second films drew mixed reviews but were solidly profitable, though the third entry underperformed in 2014. The Expendables 4 was a box-office bomb in 2023 though, grossing $51 million on a reported $100 million budget while earning awful reviews. This fourth installment was a witless, lazy cash grab with some appallingly undercooked CGI, and its total failure marks the first time a Statham franchise has crashed so thoroughly.

Expendables 4’s Flop Is Even More Disappointing Given Statham’s Box Office Successes

Expendables 4 should have revived the series, not killed it

2023 was a productive year for Statham, where he starred in no less than four movies. Fast X and Meg 2: The Trench may have both received tepid notices, but they were still comfortable financial successes. Guy Ritchie's Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre was somewhat disappointing, and just about clawed back its $50 million budget. Still, Expendables 4 was far and away Statham's biggest flop in some time, though he quickly bounced back in January 2024 thanks to The Beekeeper.

While he won't appear in the movie, Sylvester Stallone penned the screenplay for Jason Statham's thriller Levon's Trade.

It's genuinely impressive that, over 25 years into his career, Statham is still an in-demand leading man. He's somebody who knows what his core audience wants and finds projects that suit his screen persona. Sadly, The Expendables 4 felt ill-conceived from its inception, sidelining series creator Stallone in a cameo and settling for a rather generic story involving a stolen nuclear weapon. It almost feels like the people producing the sequel had little faith in it, and that lack of ion translated onscreen. Of course, Statham himself remained the highlight.

The Expendables Franchise Should Have Used Jason Statham Better

Maybe Expendables: A Christmas Story really was the better idea

Following the disappointment of The Expendables 3, the series found itself in a funk. There were plans for an all-female spinoff dubbed The Expendabelles, and a Statham solo offering called Expendables: A Christmas Story. Neither film happened, though it appears the fourth outing used pieces from those unmade projects. Statham is the best part of The Expendables 4, but there are only so many quips and punches he can deliver to distract from a lousy screenplay and forgettable setpieces.

Statham and Stallone were essentially the leads of the series, with the films leaning on their easy chemistry. But due to featuring so many iconic stars, the movies often felt episodic and unbalanced, such as the second entry stopping dead in its tracks to let Chuck Norris tell a bad Chuck Norris joke. The fourth film positioned Statham as the lead of the next iteration of the series, but given its failure, another sequel is doubtful. Maybe Expendables: A Christmas Story was the better option after all, splitting Statham off from the rest of the cast for a solo outing.

Source: The Numbers