Expendables 4 Trailer: They'll Die When They're Dead

So ... they're still making these, huh?

When the first "Expendables" came out in 2010, the notion of a bunch of action heroes from varying corners of the genre being brought together in the same movie still had some novelty. (Remember, this was still years before Marvel Studios released the first "Avengers" movie.) Unfortunately, the film didn't live up to its potential: Sure, seeing the all-star cast provided a few thrills, but in opposition to his initial desire, co-writer and director Sylvester Stallone delivered something so big, dumb, and self-serious that it didn't feel like it added up to anything beyond shaky cam and empty action.

Thankfully, the second film, which came out in 2012, righted the ship by swapping directors ("Con Air" helmer Simon West stepped in for Stallone) and embracing a much sillier tone, resulting in a movie that looked like these aging big screen mainstays were actually having fun while making the movie. The third movie, while still fairly ridiculous, introduced a glimmer of genuine gravitas and had a surprising emotional core to go along with the expected amount of insane explosions.

Now, nearly a full ten years later, the Expendables are back with a new crew to continue laying waste to their enemies. Check out the newest trailer below.

That third film was about the older heroes coming to grips with their mortality — if Stallone was worried about aging out when he was in his mid-60s, how will this film handle that concept now that he's in his mid-70s? The answer, it seems, is for him to step back and not be a major part of this movie; he gets the "and" credit on the poster, indicating his role is significantly smaller than his starring position in previous films. Stallone said in an Instagram video upon wrapping the movie in 2021 that he was "ready to pass the baton on to Jason [Statham] and his capable hands" to keep the franchise alive. But let's see how the fourth one is first.

"Expend4bles" marks the third out of four movies to feature the concept of a younger team being a part of the action, and I'm curious if, like the previous movies, this film will once again ultimately present a message that if you want something done right, you can only rely on the old school heroes to get their hands dirty and make it happen. (Hey, it worked for "Top Gun: Maverick.")

Returning cast members like Stallone, Statham, Randy Couture, and Dolph Lundgren will be joined here by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, and Andy Garcia. Written by Kurt Wimmer, Tad Daggerhart, and Max Adams, "Expend4bles" is directed by Scott Waugh ("Act of Valor," "Need for Speed").

"Expend4bles" explodes into theaters on September 22, 2023.