Hong Kong’s very own actor, martial artist, and action director Donnie Yen’s name is not limited to his region but his stylistic action has gained global fans. Yen made his on-screen debut in a starring role in Woo Ping Yuen-directed 1984 action comedy Drunken Tai Chi.
Yen’s fame caught the attention of Hollywood producers and the makers prompting him to break into the industry. Following his regional success in the Ip Man franchise, the actor got significant roles in Hollywood. Yen joined the cast of Star Wars Universe by portraying the role of blind warrior Chirrut Îmwe in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in 2016. Later, went on to play a major role in XXX: Return of Xander Cage. With Disney’s live-action version of Mulan, the actor further gained Hollywood recognition. Most recently, the actor starred alongside Keanu Reeves in John Wick: Chapter 4.
Donnie Yen Refused Sylvester Stallone’s Big Action Franchise
Donnie Yen has only a few movies under big Hollywood productions. Despite being the one of most notable action heroes in Hong Kong, his Hollywood appearance is quite low compared to his peers Jackie Chan and Jet Li. He’s often busy with the Hong Kong film industry making his schedule less flexible for Hollywood movies. However, he is also keen on rejecting roles that are not appealing to him. According to reports, the Ip Man actor refused to appear in Sylvester Stallone’s very own Avengers franchise- The Expandables. The actor was approached for a role in The Expendables 2 in the Expendables franchise.
“They wanted me to be in ‘Expendables 2’ but I just didn’t feel the role clicked. I was flattered that I was approached by the producers but I just didn’t see the role they asked me to do being that intriguing. I didn’t really want to do it but I’m open for anything. Doing a movie is a stressful thing. You spend months of you life focusing into that one project and I want to make sure I do something I really like or I’m really passionate about,” the actor told ComingSoon.net
Yen is just expanding his Hollywood career right now. He has already been a part of the successful franchise John Wick and is set to appear in the video game adaptation of the same name Sleeping Dogs where he’d play Wei Shen.
Other Actors Who Turned Down The Expendables
Several actors who were considered for some roles have declined their roles in the $789 franchise. Sylvester Stallone’s own version of Avengers first landed on the screen in 2010 with a bunch of action heroes in a tribute to ‘80s action movies. The first movie of the franchise was an instant hit. Two years later The Expendables 2 was released and in 2014 the third installment brought in the biggest ensemble of action heroes.
As per reports, Stallone’s first choice for the role of Mr. Church was Kurt Russell, however, the actor declined the role. Russel was not inclined towards “ensemble acting at the moment.” Russel later revealed that he hadn’t even watched the movies in the franchise. Similar to Donnie Yen, The Thing actor said such films are not his style any more, “It’s not a beat I get. It’s like looking backwards to me.”
Later Bruce Willis played Mr. Church in The Expendables. Willis was originally set to reprise his role in The Expendables 3, however, a pay dispute put a break into that. As per reports, Willis wanted $4 million for four days of shooting and he was getting paid $3 million. Stallone refused the Die Hard actor’s demand calling him “greedy and lazy.”
Jean-Claude Van Damme was also originally considered for a role in the first installment but the actor did not find the story compelling. However, he appeared in The Expendables 2 as the villainous Jean-Vilain.
The role of Hale Caesar was originally written for Wesley Snipes but he could not appear in the movie due to his tax-related issues at the time. Forest Whitaker also turned down the role for a scheduling conflict. Later, Terry Crews played the role but left the franchise before the fourth installment when he was asked to drop a sexual assault charge by producer Avi Lerner.
Further, John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Clint Eastwood, Milla Jovovich, Jack Nicholson, and Jackie Chan also had to turn down the franchise for various issues. Antonio Banderas could not appear in the second installment as well. “They asked me to do [‘Expendables 2’], I don’t think at this point I will have the time. I am very disappointed that it didn’t work out,” Banderas said. But he appeared in the third movie of the franchise. Mickey Rourke who played the team’s confidante, Tool, left the franchise to Seven Psychopaths.
The fourth installment of the franchise, The Expendables 4 is set to hit theatre on 22 September 2023.
Source: ScreenRant.
