The Expendables franchise is already quite popular. While some critics have pointed out issues with the plot and character dialogue, they have praised the action sequences in the franchise. Despite this, the most important point to note here is that all of its films have been box-office successes.
The fourth installment of The Expendables was also released on September 22, 2023. But the film has received the worst reviews of the franchise, with critics claiming it lacks fresh ideas.
Although the franchise has managed to overcome the bad reviews, if it is coupled with the disappointing financial returns of the fourth sequel — then the prospects for the fifth franchise seem uncertain.
Scott Waugh Said That the Continuation of the Expendables Franchise Depends Upon the Fans’ Demand
These days, providing audiences with familiar characters has become a successful strategy, but determining when to conclude the franchise can be difficult. It also looks like the director of the recent Expendables movie is not certain whether it will be the end of Sylvester Stallone‘s franchise.
It took quite some time for Expend4bles to come on screen, that’s the reason fans thought that the series had ended with the third sequel and stopped anticipating the fourth installment. Still, its fourth movie has been finally released.
Now, Expend4bles director Scott Waugh tells The Hollywood Reporter that no franchise is truly finished if there’s demand from fans and support from the studio. He pointed to the ongoing success of the John Wick franchise as an example and explained:
“I think the door in any franchise is wide open when the fans want one. I mean, how many times have you and I heard that? They said the same thing on John Wick, but they’re talking about John Wick 5 now. So if the fans want one, Hollywood’s not shallow enough to deny the money possibility.”
The director has a point here, but in the case of Expendables, its disappointing financial return is the barrier to the continuation of the next sequel.
Will There Be Expendables 5?
As of now, there is no official confirmation of The Expendables 5, and no future installments in the franchise have been approved either. But in an interview with the Daily Express, producers said they’d keep up with the franchise “as long as there’s an appetite for it,” with Kevin King Templeton adding:
“Nothing is off the table. We don’t know. It’s all about the fans.”
On the other hand, John Wick: Chapter 4 clearly concluded the series, but there are still potential hints of John Wick: Chapter 5. However, John Wick 5 is still unconfirmed, despite reports of early development at Lionsgate in May 2023.
The John Wick franchise’s continued success, including strong box office returns for the latest installment, has opened the door for further sequels. But it is still unclear in the case of Expendables‘ 5th sequel.
As the director said, if the fans anticipate more, the sequel will certainly happen — looks like fans would not be interested to see Expendables‘ fifth installment (following the bad reviews of Expend4bles).
Expend4bles is currently running in theatres.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Daily Express
