Jet Li was a huge star before he came to America, but once he arrived he had several moments where he starred alongside some major action stars and had epic fight scenes. Li got his start as an athlete, winning five men's national championships for the Beijing Wushu Team. This led to his great Asian film success, starting with Shaolin Temple and moving on to massive hits like Once Upon a Time in China and Fist of Legend. 535i2n

The Expendables franchise was originally created by Sylvester Stallone in an effort to bring together a group of action stars from the 80s and 90s in a collaborative effort that paid homage to the films that helped define their careers. Viewers have seen Stallone share the screen with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dolph Lundgren, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Wesley Snipes, Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, and others over the course of all four movies, although the fourth film shifts the focus to be more centered around Jason Statham.

The Expendables franchise has ittedly reached a fairly low point after the critical and commercial failure of the long-awaited fourth installment, but there may still be a way for the series to continue. The films have been hailed as some of the most popular and expensive action blockbusters of this century, with each installment bringing several new faces that are huge names in the action genre. The Expendables’ excellent cast is undeniably the best part of the franchise, and it could prove to be the secret to saving the series from complete failure.

Released 48 years ago, Shaolin Templeis the kung fu movie equivalent of The Expendables. Created by Sylvester Stallone, The Expendables franchise has a well-earned reputation for featuring the largest casts of action heroes ever assembled on the big screen. But while that's certainly true of Stallone's films, they're not the only movies to bring in impressive ensembles of actors for an action-packed adventure.

Sylvester Stallone famously assembled a star-studded cast of old-school screen legends for The Expendables, but the classic disaster movie Airport ‘77 pulled that casting trick first. The Expendables launched Stallone’s third franchise after Rocky and Rambo with the conceit of bringing all of Hollywood’s action movie legends together for one big all-star action epic. Stallone was ed by Jason Statham, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jet Li, Bruce Willis, Dolph Lundgren, and many more. The sequels brought in Jean-Claude Van Damme, Wesley Snipes, Harrison Ford, and Mel Gibson.

The Expendables 4 cast continued the star-studded approach of the franchise, but the cast of the Expendables series has changed constantly over the years. Sylvester Stallone has always had good luck when it comes to crafting franchises for himself, and 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 film. 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 ing.

Giselle Itié was one of the bravest actors in The Expendables, going as far as to actually perform one of the film's most terrifying stunts. The Expendables became known for its gritty and adrenaline-fueled sequences. Directed by Sylvester Stallone, the star-studded Expendables cast of action legends, including Stallone himself, Jason Statham, Jet Li, and Dolph Lundgren, was assembled in 2010. It follows a group of elite mercenaries tasked with overthrowing a Latin American dictator, weaving a narrative filled with explosive stunts, hand-to-hand combat, and a display of brotherhood amongst the band of warriors.

The Expendables broke an unlikely sequel streak for Arnold Schwarzenegger, and not in a positive way. Following the success of the original Terminator, there was a run of incredible Arnold Schwarzenegger action movies. The star had a knack for picking projects with great hooks, and having them tailored to his unique star branding. From Commando to Predator and even the lesser-sung likes of Eraser, Arnie always had an eye for concepts that tempted audiences into the theater.

The Expendables star Sylvester Stallone recalls the life-altering injury he sustained while filming the 2010 action flick. Directed by Stallone, the action-packed franchise-starter assembles an impressive list of action stars, including Jason Statham, Jet Li, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Terry Crews, Dolph Lundgren, and more. The film follows Stallone's Barney Ross as he leads his team of mercenaries on a dangerous mission in South America, with one tense sequence featuring Stallone's character facing off against "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's Paine.

In 2010, the release of Sylvester Stallone's The Expendables marked the beginning of a truly iconic action franchise, however, this success almost never came to be because of one decision that could have ruined the franchise for good. As of now, The Expendables has four movies under its belt, with The Expend4bles coming out as recently as 2023. The series is best known for its incredible cast of action icons, from modern favorites like Jason Statham to old-timers like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Though The Expendables is just one staple in the action genre, its success was not always a guarantee.