Stallone wants Antonio Banderas for Expendables 2; Travolta and Cage out?

Last Updated on July 23, 2021

On the heels the news that Mickey Rourke will not be joining the gang again for THE EXPENDABLES 2 comes an interesting story today regarding the massive cast for the flick. We’ve known for months now that Sly Stallone is attempting to bring aboard almost every actor who has ever kicked an ass or shot a gun on screen before, hiring dudes like Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris and Scott Adkins for the sure-to-be explosive sequel – so how about a name that we haven’t heard yet?

Sly’s ASSASSINS co-star Antoniio Banderas is out and about nowadays doing press for PUSS N BOOTS and a wise reporter over at Sandwich John Films thought to ask him if he’s been contacted about EXPENDABLES 2. Interestingly enough, turns out he has been!

“They asked me to do it, I don’t think at this point I will have the time,” Banderas told the site. “I am very disappointed that it didn’t work out. But you never know, I will have to talk to Sly.”

Hey, as long as that “you never know” is in there, the door is left open…

Meanwhile, a couple of actors who have been tentatively attached to the flick are reportedly out: Think McFly Think has evidently received a confirmation that neither Nicolas Cage or John Travolta will be appearing in the sequel. (The Playlist has gone on to confirm that Cage definitely won’t be involved.)

This is honestly not such a big deal for me. Banderas, of course, is a name we’re only now just hearing, so no harm, no foul. But Cage and Travolta always seemed a little wrong for the project. These movies are about action heroes, and neither actor really personifies that, so their inclusion might have felt more gratuitous than, say, that of guys like Arnie or Bruce… Just one schlub’s opinion, though.

Sly and Antonio’s ASSASSINS co-star Julianne Moore