Expend4bles director Scott Waugh addressed whether Jackie Chan might appear in Expendables 5. Expend4bles is Waugh’s first movie in The Expendables franchise, having previously come from directing 2014’s Need for Speed. The Expend4bles cast includes Jason Statham, 50 Cent, Megan Fox, Dolph Lundgren, Andy Garcia, and Sylvester Stallone. Unfortunately, the latest installment has performed poorly at the box office, but that hasn’t stopped conversations about a possible Expendables 5.
Speaking with JoBlo Celebrity Interviews, Waugh was asked whether he thinks Jackie Chan, who has long been desired for The Expendables, would ever enter the franchise. Waugh responded that “anything’s possible” and expressed enthusiasm for Chan’s potential entry into the series. The conditions would eventually come down to the actor’s schedule. Check out the full quote from Waugh below:
“Look I think anything’s possible, and I know Jackie’s a huge Sly fan, Sly has such reverence for Jackie as well. I think if the stars align in their schedules, which is always so freaking complicated, I would really hope that we could make that happen, that’d be fantastic.”
What Will Expendables 5 Look Like (If It Happens)?
A seasoned action star who has been acting for over 50 years, Chan has long been a fan favorite to join The Expendables team. As the Expendables movies featured other action legends, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, and Harrison Ford, Chan seemed like a high-profile omission. This was not for lack of trying, as Stallone reportedly tried to recruit Chan for The Expendables 2 and The Expendables 3. Chan turned down the Expendables appearance on both occasions, citing first a schedule conflict and then a screen time fear for the latter, wanting to eschew roles in which he would be around for “five minutes.”
After Expend4bles, the franchise might be looking for new talent again. Unlike previous entries in the franchise, which situated Stallone as the protagonist among copious sidekicks, Expend4bles put Statham at the forefront. This torch passing from Stallone to Statham indicates that The Expendables franchise is changing, and with this shift comes the greater possibility of adding new characters to the mix. Chan, if the franchise is lucky, could be one such figure.
As optimistic as Waugh may sound about an Expendables future beyond Expend4bles, the chances of The Expendables 5 are far from definite. Not only does Expend4bles have an astoundingly low Rotten Tomatoes score at 15%, but the movie botched its opening weekend, raking in only $8.3 million at the domestic box office. The Expendables franchise has long overcome bad reviews, but coupled with poor financial returns, a fifth installment seems more unlikely. While Chan may be a great idea, Stallone and The Expendables team will first need to decide whether The Expendables 5 is in the cards in the first place.
