In an exclusive interview, the producers of the Expendables franchise have shared their plans for the future of the series, with the fourth film set to hit cinemas soon. Kevin King-Templeton and Les Weldon, who have been involved in the project from the beginning, say that they will continue to make more films as long as there is interest from fans. They also revealed that the aging cast, including Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham, are still doing their own stunts, although the fight sequences have been modified to accommodate newer stars like Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, and 50 Cent. Despite some uncertainty about the future, the producers remain optimistic and open-minded about what’s to come.
According to him, some changes were necessary because the cast is aging. The team used Jackie Chan’s stunt crew, which added an Asian martial arts influence to the movie. However, Les emphasized that fans should not underestimate the older cast as they are not like the average 60 or 70-year-olds. These actors are action-oriented individuals who maintain their fitness levels. They are all in better shape than Les, even though he is younger. Les believes that they remain ready for movies like this because they do not neglect their physical health. Most of them perform their own stunts and fight scenes.
According to Kevin, the actors on set are highly skilled and take pride in doing their own stunts and training. It’s important for them to take care of themselves because they have a job to do. Despite the risks involved, there were no major injuries reported, just some minor strains and aches. The movie has been in production for nine years with setbacks along the way, including navigating through Covid protocols and implementing even stricter safety measures after the Rust shooting incident.
