Renowned Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan has revealed why he did not feature in Sylvester Stallone’s Expendables Alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis.
With The Expendables franchise putting together every veteran actor on the same team, Jackie Chan was of course invited to the party. The actor, however, has not made an appearance in the franchise to date.
Stating his reasons, the Rush Hour actor stated that he never refused Sylvester Stallone but he felt that it already had too many Hollywood legends in the movie.
Jackie Chan admitted that he would not have minded if it was just a one-on-one battle between Stallone and him but the inclusion of other actors like Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham, and, Jean-Claude Van Damme made him back out of the franchise.
The Expendables, as the name suggests, is a team of fighters that change the world on their bikes and planes. With a star-studded cast of veteran names such as Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, and appearances from other veteran actors, the franchise has been liked all around the world for its action scenes and nostalgia.
Talking about another legendary actor, Jackie Chan had already been offered to star in the two sequels of The Expendables films but he did not make an appearance. With The Expendables 4 currently in production, Chan revealed that he had obviously been asked a fourth time to make an appearance.
In an interview with Den of Geek, Jackie Chan admitted that he found the format of the movies boring and redundant. Stating that there was no point in making an appearance for barely 5 minutes, Chan stated that he did not refuse Sylvester Stallone but he refused the format of the franchise.
“…this morning I did hear – the office called – Sly [Stallone] wants me for Expendables 4. I said, ‘Okay.’ Because they already asked me to be in two and three, but I refused. Well, I didn’t refuse, but I said, ‘Sly, can’t we just do you and me? Not just a bunch of people and me only coming out for five minutes.’ Because then the audience is, ‘Oh!’ And then I’m gone.”