The Expendables 5: Breaking Stallone’s Franchise Rule For A Reboot

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Despite recent challenges, a fifth Expendables movie seems to be moving forward. However, to succeed, it might need to go against Sylvester Stallone’s usual approach. While he’s currently finding success with Tulsa King, his last two action films received very poor reviews (a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes), so returning to a well-known franchise like The Expendables could be a smart move.

Unfortunately, Sylvester Stallone is moving away from some of his most famous roles. He’s turned down opportunities to reprise Rocky in the Creed films and won’t be appearing in the new Cliffhanger remake. Similarly, the next Rambo movie will be a prequel set during the Vietnam War, and Noah Centineo will be taking on the role of a younger Rambo.

That leaves only the Expendables series, but even his future with those films isn’t guaranteed. Expendables 4 wasn’t successful with critics or audiences, earning back only about half of its $100 million production cost (according to Box Office Mojo). The latest film also tried to shift the leadership role from Sylvester Stallone’s Barney Ross to Jason Statham’s Christmas.

Even though the fourth movie in the series wasn’t well-received, the franchise has earned over $850 million in total. Because of this success, Lionsgate recently bought the rights to both Rambo and The Expendables, and it’s very likely we’ll see another Expendables sequel soon.

The Expendables 5 Should Kill Off Most Of The OG Characters

Considering the poor reception of Expendables 3 and 4, the franchise needs a fresh start. A strong way to show this would be to introduce new characters and fulfill the original promise of the series by letting some of the original cast members die.

It’s strange that the series has avoided killing off major characters since it started in 2010. So far, Liam Hemsworth’s Billy the Kid is the only main character who has actually died. While Dolph Lundgren’s Gunner and Terry Crews’ Hale Caesar were originally planned to die in the first and third movies, those plans were changed at the last minute and they were saved.

For a long time, this has been a weakness for the series. Though killing off characters can feel like a lazy way to create drama, the fact that no one really dies in The Expendables is noticeable. The whole idea is that these seasoned fighters thrive on battle, but it’s hard to feel any real tension when they always survive without serious injuries.

While a complete restart of The Expendables 5 is possible, it’s probably more likely the film will connect to previous movies. The best approach would be to feature some returning characters alongside a new team. If many of the original members are killed off, this would offer a natural way to begin a new chapter.

Why The Expendables Has Avoided Killing Characters

Sylvester Stallone revealed in his Netflix documentary, Sly, that he dislikes movies where the main character dies, feeling it leaves viewers disappointed. He starred in the 1978 thriller F.I.S.T., which features his character being killed at the end – a decision Stallone actively protested against.

From then on, Sylvester Stallone made a point of never letting his characters die on screen, no matter the story. Even when films like Rocky V and Rambo: Last Blood initially planned for the title characters to die, Stallone decided against it. This is why the Expendables movies have largely avoided killing off any of the main characters, with only one exception.

It’s easy to see Stallone’s reasoning, but the Expendables movies have become over the top. The idea of aging soldiers constantly defeating entire armies has become unbelievable, especially after four films where, despite the odds, everything always works out for them. The Expendables 3 featured around fifteen main characters, and incredibly, they all survived without a scratch.

The next Expendables movie needs to show the real risks of the team’s work. While the films shouldn’t take death lightly, after four movies, it’s time to acknowledge that what they do is genuinely dangerous.

After The Last Two Movies, The Expendables 5 Needs To Be Something Very Different

If the next Expendables movie doesn’t have Stallone directing, it really needs to try a fresh approach. The fourth film felt stale and predictable, and the series needs new ideas and people to stay interesting.

Lionsgate, the studio behind the popular John Wick films, seems like a perfect fit for a new Expendables movie. Thinking about who could be in it, it would be great to see Keanu Reeves (Mr. Wick) join the team, along with other action stars like Charlize Theron, Gerard Butler, or even Dwayne Johnson.

The most important thing is to create a team that will appeal to both longtime fans and new viewers. It would be a good idea to bring back a classic character like Barney or Trench (Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character) as a mentor or even a full member of the team. However, The Expendables 5 really needs to show that it’s moving in a fresh direction.

The last movie was very poorly received, and the third Expendables film didn’t fare much better. This fifth film is a crucial opportunity to show the series still has potential, so the filmmakers need to deliver something truly exceptional. Other struggling franchises have made successful comebacks, and there’s hope that Expendables 5 can do the same.

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2025-11-09 20:19