Sylvester Stallone Is Leaving ‘The Expendables’ Franchise 

The star actor recently finished filming his fourth installment in the franchise.

By Omotayo Olutekunbi

Sylvester Stallone has announced his departure from the ‘Expendables’ franchise, having just finished the fourth and final installment.

On Friday, Stallone announced the news in an Instagram video saying: “This will be my last day, I’m enjoying it, but it’s always bittersweet when something you’ve been so attached to – I guess since, well now it’s been about 12 years – and ready to pass the baton on to Jason [Statham] in his capable hands.”

“The greatest thing is being able to provide films that are somewhat entertaining and maybe there’s a little message in there because what I try to convey in my successful films is the human touch. Not so much the action, the action is self-evident, but it’s just relating to the audience in a way that they can identify with whatever the mission is with the characters at hand… Just providing some escapism and hoping there’s a little something extra in there.”

The series follows the titular Expendables, a gang of elite mercenaries led by Barney Ross (Stallone). The group’s missions have included eliminating a Latin American tyrant, pursuing vengeance against a rival mercenary, and dealing with a vicious arms dealer.

Plot elements for the fourth film, on the other hand, are being kept under wraps for the time being.

The first installment of ‘The Expendables’ was released in 2010, and sequels were released in 2012 and 2014.

All three films featured Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, and Randy Couture, as well as cameos

The cast of ‘The Expendables 4’ will include Megan Fox, Curtis Jackson aka 50 Cent, and Tony Jaa. The new film is set to be released in theaters in 2022.