Will Arnold Schwarzenegger return in Expendables 4?

The Expendables 4 is one of the most highly anticipated action flicks slated to arrive later this year. Given that one of the most exciting aspects of the franchise has been the team-up of the old rivals, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, fans are wondering if the upcoming film will reunite the iconic duo one last time.

Needless to say, fans would have killed for a team-up like this in the 80s and the 90s, before it finally happened in 2010, and the franchise kept building upon it in the sequels. Schwarzenegger’s small cameos in The Expendables franchise also led to 2013’s Escape Plan, where he co-starred alongside Stallone.

But it has been nine years since the two united in The Expendables 3, and unfortunately, that may have been their final team-up movie.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger confirms his absence from Expendables 4

Trench and Church in The Expendables 3 (Image via Lionsgate)

With the arrival of his recent action series Fubar on Netflix, Schwarzenegger has been on a press tour, and he was recently asked whether he’d be coming back as Trench in what’s confirmed to be Sylvester Stallone’s final Expendables movie.

The Terminator star told Parade that he has been back enough, but this time, he won’t “be back.” He said about The Expendables 4:

"It's done and I'm not in it. I said, 'You know what, we have done this and I'm out of it.' And [Stallone] really understood. I did [the first Expendables] as a favor to Sly. I shot it on a Saturday for two hours quickly in a church with Bruce Willis."

He continued:

"Sly said, 'Oh, can you do Expendables 2?' and I did that for a weekend. Then it was expanded for Expendables 3. And that was it. We're going to do something together one day."

Schwarzenegger confirmed what had already been speculated by fans since his name wasn’t announced with the rest of the Expendables 4’s long lineup. But some optimistic fans still hoped for a surprise cameo.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone (via Getty Images)

They may be disappointed for now, but it’s a good sign that Schwarzenegger at least hopes to work with the Rambo actor once again. The two have entered the TV space in recent times as Schwarzenegger recently starred in Fubar, while Stallone led from the front in Paramount+’s Tulsa King, towards the end of 2022. So, their team-up could happen in a future series as both of them aren’t looking to retire for now.

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The cast of Expendables 4

While Arnold Schwarzenegger isn’t coming back, Expendables 4 does feature a massive lineup that involves a lot of new faces. Most of the old squad is returning as we’d see Dolph Lundgren be back as Gunner Jensen alongside Randy Cooture’s Toll Road. While they will be continuing their supporting roles, Sly Stallone confirmed that Jason Statham’s Lee Christmas will be the leading character.

Jason Statham and Iko Uwais (Image via Lionsgate)

Amongs the newer faces, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Iko Uwais, Tony Jaa, and Megan Fox are some of the familiar names that have joined the franchise, with Uwais playing the villain. Jacob Scipio, Levy Tran, Andy Garcia, and Nicole Andrews are some other names who will have smaller roles.

Unfortunately, Terry Crews confirmed that he will not be coming back to join the main squad of Expendables 4. So, he’d be the only core member of the team to miss out after appearing in all three Expendables movies in the past.

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Scott Waugh’s The Expendables 4 arrives on September 22.