He was supposed to act in "Expendables". "I couldn't bear to look at them."
"Expend4bles" is selling very poorly in theaters, so it can be assumed that we won't see any more sequels. The ranks of old action movie heroes have greatly diminished, and Megan Fox's appearance in their place did not save the movie. Steven Seagal once had the opportunity to appear in "The Expendables," but did not take it. It is known why.
Sep 30, 2023 | updated: 9:08 AM EDT, October 5, 2023
Sylvester Stallone, the creator of "The Expendables", author of the script, and director of the first part of the series, wanted to gather all the action heroes from the 80s and 90s in one film. His idea did not spark interest among the heads of large film studios for a long time. It was not believed that old heroes could still captivate a contemporary audience.
Ultimately, "The Expendables" was created in 2010 in the independent Lionsgate studio, which spent 80 million dollars on the film. However, the invested money quickly paid off. Both viewers and critics really liked the "old school" action cinema. The first part of "The Expendables" earned 275 million dollars worldwide, the second one 315 million, and the third 215 million.
In Sylvester Stallone's project, among others, Jason Statham, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Wesley Snipes, Jet Li, Chuck Norris, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, and Jean-Claude Van Damme have appeared in minor or major roles in at least one film. Fans of action films from the 80s and 90s well know that only one leading action movie hero from those years was missing from this group - Steven Seagal.
Seagal was not invited to participate in "The Expendables" during the production of the first and second parts of the film, which could have influenced later events. The offer only came during the preparation for the third installment. Stallone probably wanted to have all the most important action film stars in his "indestructible gang".
Steven Seagal allegedly turned down the offer to appear in "The Expendables 3" twice. The second time, Stallone and the producers wanted to convince him with a final fight scene against Mel Gibson, in which he would play a crucial role.
- I didn't agree to act because I disliked several people involved in this movie. I simply couldn't stand looking at them. Life's too short to upset oneself in this way. Of course, I won't name any names. I don't regret my decision. It's them who lost out on my absence, not me - Seagal stated years later.
One of the people that Steven Seagal definitely despises is Jean-Claude Van Damme. The star of "Bloodsport" once challenged Seagal to a duel at a Hollywood party. At that time, Seagal not only ignored the thrown down gauntlet but also fled from the party.
It's just that Van Damme was not supposed to appear in the third part of "The Expendables". Maybe it was about Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose sense of humor once, allegedly, upset Seagal.
