Expendables 4: Schwarzenegger Must Return (To Complete His Stallone “Feud”) by HollywoodNuts
Arnold Schwarzenegger must return to conclude his conflict with Sylvester Stallone in The Expendables 4, which appears to be the final true installment in the series.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s return in The Expendables 4 might be the ideal way to put an end to their infamous beef. Eight years after the last, PG-13 rated sequel, The Expendables 3, which saw the series suffer its lowest box office gross and audience ratings despite having the strongest line-up in the Expendables franchise, The Expendables 4 is scheduled to premiere in 2022.
The Expendables 4 corrects several flaws in The Expendables 3 and returns to its 1980s-inspired glory by reintroducing the blood and relentless action. Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, and Randy Couture are among the many series regulars who are returning, while Arnold Schwarzenegger’s participation as competing mercenary Trench is still uncertain.
The now-famous dispute between Stallone and Schwarzenegger first surfaced during the 1977 Oscars, when the latter received a nomination for Best Actor for his portrayal of Rocky Balboa in the film Rocky. Schwarzenegger apparently laughed when Stallone lost the Academy Award to Peter Finch, and Stallone has claimed that “from that moment our DNA hated each other.” The two continued to compete for parts and the box office throughout the 1980s.
The two would frequently follow up one other’s popular films with a fresh take on the same kind of plot, as when Schwarzenegger’s Commando appeared soon after Stallone’s hit Rambo. The most well-known incident between them was when Schwarzenegger duped Stallone into playing the lead in the critically and commercially unsuccessful film Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot. The two reconciled after more than ten years of animosity and have since grown to be one of Hollywood’s top bromances.
In the 2010 film The Expendables, Schwarzenegger and Stallone shared the screen for the first time, solidifying their new bond. Despite their apparent rivalry, the dialogue between Schwarzenegger’s Trench and Stallone’s Barney Ross is lighthearted and satirical in tone. Trench returned in The Expendables 2, but this time he played a considerably bigger part because Schwarzenegger was no longer the governor of California. The two characters cooperate in that first Expendables sequel, frequently saving each other’s skins, and this continues in the subsequent film as well.
Barney Ross and Trench’s relationship in the Expendables series has evolved from antagonism to comradery, precisely reflecting the change in their on-screen counterparts’ emotional states. The two may finally become buddies and put their animosity to rest if they got together for one last 1980s-style romp.
Given that Stallone will be leaving the Expendables series, The Expendables 4 might be their final opportunity to work together. Although it is unknown if Barney Ross will pass away, his chances of remaining in the series appear to be drastically diminished. In addition to his upcoming standalone spinoff, The Expendables: A Christmas Story, Jason Statham’s character, Lee Christmas, will take over as the main character in the main series.
This suggests that The Expendables 4 might be Stallone’s final performance as Barney Ross before the franchise refocuses. It would have been nice to see Schwarzenegger’s Trench in the sequel, which would provide as a fitting send-off for both actors. Trench and Barney Ross valued each other despite their disputes, thus having Trench even close by in the case of Barney Ross’s demise would bring some real emotion to the situation.
Schwarzenegger and Stallone might reunite in a different or new franchise, similar to how they did in 2013’s Escape Plan, but having their final appearance together in the same franchise as their debut together would be fantastic. This action would also solidify the characters’ real-life narrative, as they start the series as rivals and conclude it as friends.
The Expendables 4 must have Schwarzenegger return because it would wonderfully wrap up the Stallone/Schwarzenegger feud story and because of Arnold’s contribution to the action genre, which the series has been honoring since 2010.