Even before the first movie was done filming, a lengthy list of aging action stars and macho men was rumored for the inevitable sequel to THE EXPENDABLES.
Plenty of big (or at least fairly recognizable) names have circulated recently, and star Sylvester Stallone acknowledges several of them to EW… but doesn’t seem able to commit 100% to them all.
As expected, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger will be back with larger roles, and Sly confirms his rumored clash with the Muscles from Brussels: “We’ll have a big showdown between me and Van Damme, which has been anticipated for a long time, so it should be a good one.”
Also: “We’ve got Chuck Norris and I think Nic Cage.” This would also reunite Cage with THE EXPENDABLES 2 director Simon West, who directed the muscular mulleted actor in CON AIR (as well as the upcoming thriller MEDALLION).
And what about Cage’s FACE/OFF adversary John Travolta? “It’s possible. The one thing I’ve learned is what is a fact on Monday is a complete fallacy on Tuesday. A lot of it is scheduling. It’s not financial. It’s just that Bulgaria is definitely a jaunt.”
Sly does drop a couple more names as potential hired guns and/or bullet catchers: “I like using people that had a moment and then maybe have fallen on some hard times and give them another shot. So we’re always looking for actors like Michael Biehn and Michael Pare. I like those kinds of guys. Someone did it for me and I like to see if I can do it for them. We also need some new blood in there, a Navy SEAL-type, because with the Expendables none of them have 20-20 vision anymore. They need some help, man.“
Considering he’s still contemplating and chasing different actors for roles, the script must be sufficiently malleable — the movie is scheduled to shoot this month and already has a planned release date of August 17, 2012. Most of the original surviving cast will return for further carnage, along with (apparently) whoever can or will make the trip to Bulgaria.
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