Every Actor Who Left The Expendables Franchise (& Why)

The Expendables franchise has gathered together some of the greatest action stars, but several of them exited the series as it evolved.

The Expendables lineup has changed many times through the series, but which actors decided to step away? Sylvester Stallone has always had good luck when it comes to crafting franchises for himself. With The Expendables movies, he hit upon the simple (but ingenious) notion of gathering together action stars from different eras and pairing them for one movie. Throughout the first three outings, Stallone put together an impressive ensemble of stars, though some notable names – like Jackie Chan, Kurt Russell or Donnie Yen – ended up passing. The Expendables 4 will break away from the action icon formula, opting for names like Megan Fox and 50 Cent.

Expendables 4 will also mark a passing of the guard. Stallone stepped back from the sequel creatively, while his character Barney will play a much smaller role. Jason Statham’s Christmas will instead step up as the new franchise lead, though the door is presumably open for Stallone to make future appearances. If Expendables 5 (which needs Arnie back) does happen, it would be odd not to see Barney turn up. That said, it wouldn’t be the first time in the saga’s history a major character didn’t return either, as several co-stars passed on planned repeat appearances.

Related: Stallone Definitely Won’t Die In The Expendables 4 (Here’s Why)

Mickey Rourke played a small but key role in The Expendables as Tool, who finds jobs for the titular team. Tool ended up being the unexpected heart of the film, as his monologue involving his failure to save a suicidal woman inspires Barney to do the right thing. Rourke was set to return for Expendables 2 also, where his character would have returned to the field – only to get killed during a mission. Rourke backed out to star in Seven Psychopaths instead, though he later quit that project too after clashing with the director. Tool’s Expendables 2 role was later rewritten and became Liam Hemsworth’s ill-fated sniper Billy The Kid.

Bruce Willis (Mr. Church)

The original Expendables featured the long-awaited union of Stallone, Arnie and Bruce Willis on the big screen. Willis played Mr. Church in the first two outings, a menacing CIA agent who recruits Barney’s team for dangerous missions. Church got more involved in the action for Expendables 2, but while the character was set to return for the third movie, Willis eventually passed. It was reported at the time that Willis demanded $4 million for four days of work, and passed on an offer of $3 million. Stallone seemingly confirmed this at the time, tweeting “GREEDY AND LAZY … A SURE FORMULA FOR CAREER FAILURE.”

While Stallone didn’t mention Willis by name, the tweet was seen as a jab at his former co-star. The Expendables 3 replaced Bruce Willis with Harrison Ford’s Drummer, who states in his opening scene that “Church is out of the picture.” Had Willis returned, it’s likely his role would have mirrored that of Drummer in the final film, who recruits Barney to chase after Mel Gibson’s arms dealer. Sadly, Willis would later retire from acting in 2022 after being diagnosed with the brain disorder aphasia; in 2023, his family announced his condition had progressed and he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.

Terry Crews (Hale Caesar)

Many actors were considered for the Hale Caesar role in The Expendables, including Wesley Snipes and 50 Cent. While Caesar was never a major character, Terry Crews brought a genuine charisma to the part. The character was set to die in Expendables 3 – which almost cast Jack Nicholson – but Crews “begged” Stallone to keep the character alive. Crews eventually left the franchise, claiming producer Avi Lerner tried to pressure him into dropping a sexual assault case against WME producer Adam Venit. Crews had alleged Venit groped him during a 2016 party, and vowed not to return for The Expendables 4 after Lerner’s call.

Next: Why The Expendables Franchise Shouldn’t End With 4