Sylvester Stallone says “it’s time to be movin’ on” from Barney Ross and the fast-paced action world of The Expendables. The 75-year-old actor announced on his Instagram today that he has finished filming his scenes for The Expendables 4 and will be heading back to “the good ol’ US of A” tomorrow in what he says is a “bittersweet” wrap up of the newest installment in The Expendables franchise.
Stallone goes on to say that although he has had a deep involvement with the project for the last 12 years, he is “ready to pass the baton on to Jason [Statham] and his capable hands”. From this, we can gather that the film still has quite a bit of shooting to do before we get to see it in 2022 and also confirms that Stallone really won’t be returning should there be another installment down the line, but that possibly Statham’s character, Lee Christmas, will take over where Barney Ross leaves off.
The long-awaited The Expendables 4, will bring back familiar faces Dolph Lundgren (Rocky IV) and Randy Couture (Setup), as well as new additions including Megan Fox (Jennifer’s Body), Tony Jaa (The Protector), Andy Garcia (Ocean’s Eleven), and 50 Cent (Den of Thieves).
In his Instagram post, a stoic Stallone strolls the set and speaks of his experience in making films by saying: “The greatest thing is being able to provide films and entertainment and maybe there’s a little message in there because what I try to convey in my successful films is the human touch, the bond. Not so much the action, the action is self-evident, but just relating to the audience in a way they can identify with whatever the mission is with the characters at hand.” Stallone goes on to say that “the hard part” is making sure there is enough “heart, energy, and humor” in each of his pieces.
Although longtime fans of The Expendables franchise will be sad to see Sly go, he left us with some encouraging words that he will be “getting ready to accept the next challenge”. Can’t wait to see what the next step is for this iconic and multi-talented actor, writer, and director. Check out the full Instagram post below.
via Collider