Clint Eastwood is a veteran and respected Hollywood star. He is known for films like A Fistful of Dollars, A Few More Dollars, Cry Macho, and more. The actor is revered as an iconic action star and producers want him to star in their films. One such actor and producer who wanted Eastwood for his films was Sylvester Stallone for The Expendables franchise.
Stallone is himself a well-regarded action star and The Expendables trilogy was a celebration of Hollywood’s best action heroes. So Stallone obviously wanted Eastwood in it as well. However, the veteran actor refused to star in the films, all because he wanted another role in the franchise.
Why Didn’t Clint Eastwood Want To Star In The Expendables Franchise?
Several well-known actors starred in Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables films. This included Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Wesley Snipes, and more. However, Stallone wanted to get another icon for his big-budget event film- Clint Eastwood. When Eastwood was asked by Extra TV if he could see himself starring in Stallone’s action films, he had said, “Probably not.”
As for Stallone, he knew that the chances of getting the legendary action hero were slim. He said, “Well, you know Clint is so involved with what he’s doing, so that’s kind of a pipe dream.” However, Eastwood clarified that he would have loved to join The Expendables in a more creative and leadership capacity. He had said, “I’m probably more apt to direct something. Maybe I’ll direct Expendables 3,”
It would have been amazing to see a man with decades of experience starring in some of the most well-regarded action films directing The Expendables 3. But Eastwood admittedly wasn’t familiar with the action franchise at all. As per Clint Eastwood, “I haven’t had the opportunity to see [The Expendables] yet. I haven’t read any material.” Ultimately, the third film in The Expendables franchise was directed by Patrick Hughes.
Sylvester Stallone On Handpicking The Best For The Expendables
In an interview with Collider, Sylvester Stallone was asked about why he specifically decided to bring together the heavyweight action heroes of this generation and the one before. To this Stallone replied that he wanted to create an event like The Avengers movies. The star said:
“Because they’re one of a kind – to get them all together is very, very rare. Life takes us all down very different paths, so to get them together is an event. That’s the key word: an event. We’re trying to make an ‘event movie’. Just like The Avengers, why is it so great? Because you’re bringing all these characters together.”
Stallone also talked about how much he respects action stars because according to him it is the one genre that demands the most and is the most challenging. He said:
“The hardest thing is to find an action star. I don’t give a damn what anyone says, stars, they come and go. An action star, you can count on one hand, because it’s a very interesting element. And I think all these guys have that potential, otherwise they wouldn’t be here. And they all blend.”
While The Expendables trilogy is done, it’s an ever-expanding film franchise with The Expendables 4 set to release soon. However, Eastwood isn’t listed as a cast member in that as well. But action film fans can’t help but hope that Sylvester Stallone and Clint Eastwood will one day share screen space.
The Expendables 4 will be released on September 22, 2023.
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