Dead or Alive: Who’s Missing from The Expendables?

Left to right: Action-packed alternate cast Kurt Russell, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris, Cynthia Rothrock, Steven Seagal, Carl Weathers, Jackie Chan

For all the actors Sylvester Stallone brought together intending to create the ultimate action film with The Expendables, people have been wondering about notable exclusions.

vi_rox: Wonder how that would be too. RT @ionwhat Why is Jean-Claude Van Damme not in the Expendbles? cc @actionchick
actionchick: He said no. Sly called Jean-Claude Van Damme & invited him to be in The Expendables. They differ on why JCVD declined.
SAC_KING2010: I wondered why he wasn’t in the movie
vi_rox: @actionchick ahh that’s too bad, thanks!
jennique1980: I love Jean- Claude, that’s a shame.
AJandLoki: JVD turned it down? Big mistake, imho.
MattBarrett1: Would be cool to see Van Damme but as I understand it he refused.
adamjmonetta: JCVD will probably be in a Direct2DVD sequel with Seagal, Snipes, Lamas, Van Dien & the other Redbox Renegades.

Yes, Stallone called Van Damme and tried hard to sell him on the idea of joining this cast, but JCVD turned him down. We also know Danny Trejo was going to be in the movie, but a scheduling conflict arose and he had to pick between joining this dream team and fulfilling a long-standing personal dream of his own. Trejo had to pick between co-starring in The Expendables and starring in Machete. He told us two years ago what high hopes he held for Machete.

actionchick: Okay, Jean-Claude Van Damme turned down The Expendables. Who else is missing from the ultimate action movie?

answers on twitter

jediofdoom: @actionchick Steven Segal
devtony: Wondering…why isn’t Steven Seagal in “The Expendables?” Oh right. Because he sucks.
AppJnk: @actionchick
BobbyBless219: easy… Batman…
Mr__Rager: Ricky Martin!!
GdL16: Jackie Chan and Tony Jaa?
dannyson1: What about Norris?
livingdedguy: Chuck Norris
Shadowbat: You.
neiltring: Rob Schneider!
jeremyhyler: where’s Keanu, Mel G and Danny Glover and of course Clint Eastwood, Jackie Chan, Michael Jai White?
JustinWHedges:  Bolo Yeung.
SaraBoxoffice: Seagal!
TowneTheatre: How about Steven Segal
silent037bob: Michael Dutikoff? No AMERICAN NINJA?!
TheGeneius:  Cynthia Rothrock
Apocalypse2001: I’m still pissed that Couture is in #Expendables because J-C.VD didn’t want in.
johnny_williams: snipes, russell, weathers, & jvcd would have made that film complete
Massawyrm: Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura, Jackie Chan, Mel Gibson
nikjaw:  Is Segal + Carl Weathers in Expendables? If not they should be!
XWhitakersNeckX: Billy Blanks & Don “The Dragon” Wilson
AyeQue: well arnold only cameos… no norris or hell gibson
kingbry7: Steven Segal, Chuck Norris, and Wesley Snipes.
Cavatica: Michael Dudikoff could have gotten in there.
TheMike31: Kurt Russell!
RyanIszTheMaxx: Jackie Chan, and some would argue Treat Williams. Oh, and Charles Bronson, mf’ers! 😛 Think Eastwood’d be too above this film.
swiv: Steven Seagal and Jackie Chan
cheetoh_eater:  Steven Segal, Mel Gibson, Wings Hauser and Michael Dudikoff. Wesley Snipes would’ve added some cool. #BEEEEEFCAAAAAKE
jahdzia: was Dolph lungren in there? {Note: Yes, he is.}
ashcrow: come now, are you are fishing for suggestions that it is missing you? 🙂
jamescandelarie: “Steven Seagal”, “Chuck Norris”, and “Linda Hamilton” Should Have Been in “The Expendables”.
BumpFire2012:  Steven segal, Chuck Norris, and that dude from Gymkata 🙂
RyanIszTheMaxx: Okay, what about Tony Jaa? I have a feeling that he’s growing as an action star. :
notmikestark: Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood, & the Almighty Charles Bronson.
loopinthe1st:  Notable players missing in The Expendables: Norris, JCVD, Snipes, Seagal, Dacascos, Dudikoff
krysta77: Cynthia Rothrock. “Jack. Can I call you Jack? Jack.” Know what I mean?
gunnerfan69: Too late to say chuck bronson?
silent037bob: I was also going to throw in Jeff Speakman, aka THE PERFECT WEAPON, but Dutikoff worked out okay too. ; )
d_whiteplume: How is Kurt Russell not in The Expendables?
TheSteveLee: sigourney weaver is waiting to be called for the sequel
Xander_P: Thought it funny that Dwayne Johnson, Sam Jackson, and Mark Wahlberg all wound up in a film called “The Other Guys”
2bescenecom: Tony ja, Michael ji white
Iamsam3: Chow Yun Fat, Jim Kelly, Richard Roundtree , Pam Grier, Fred Williamson, Donnie Yen, and Sonny Chiba. #MissingExpendables
contraddiction: Chuck Norris better have a cameo
livingdedguy: bringing up old subject, but late add to Expendables wishlist is Tony Jaa

answers on Facebook

Brett Reno: Eastwood
Ray Martinez: Chuck Norris/Martin Riggs/Keifer Sutherland!
Humberto Rotondo: Mr. T
Wayne Borowski: Kurt Russel.
Russell Allen Pinkston: I can’t believe Jean-Claude! What a missed opportunity to get back into main stream movies instead of that crappy direct to dvd stuff he does. And everybody raves about JCVD but I didn’t like it. Maybe if it was filmed in the US and with a better script. Scott and I had that idea 20 years ago of an action star actor being put in a real life situation (except we had Arnold as the actor).
John J. Galbo: Does Jackie Chan count? I mean he’s done a lot of those action movies.
Richard Purnell: Chuck Norris!
Chris Edwards: The cardboard cut-out of Bruce Lee from Game of Death.
Dave Payne: Richard, definitely Chuck Norris! But seriously, what is Jean Claude up to that’s so important he couldn’t make the film!
Arturo R. Garcia: Bruce Campbell would’ve been the perfect smart-ass addition to that team. I’d pay money to see him and Statham talk smack at one another.
Ariel Alb: Pat Boone!
Chris Edwards: I’d rather die than see Pat Boone in that movie. But if you think about it, that makes him really badass.
Alex Langley: Steve Buscemi, Orville Redenbacher, and the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.
John Ferrigno: Action Flick Chick. duh.
Dylan Fields: How has no one said Seagal? He and JCVD were the main omissions in my book. Norris is too old (yeah, I know Sly is in his mid-60s). Wouldn’t have minded to see Snipes in there, too, but he’s not the first to come to mind for 80s action flicks.
Harold Burman: Hmmm, I’m guessing you are looking for eighties action heroes. The “Golden Age” of action heroes! I’ll throw in Rutger Hauer. Loved him in “Blind Fury”!
Kevin Mack: Chuck Norris?
Christoffer Andersson: Hmm, maybe Antonio Banderas and Crazy old man Gibson apart from earlier mentions?
J. Seth Barnard: I’d also throw a vote in for Kurt Russell.
Ben Pernick: Vin Diesel? lol
Larry Yoshida: Jacky Chan. Not gonna say Steven Seagal and Chuck Norris
Jim Napier: Steven Seagal would actually have fit in well with the rest of the cast!
Terry Whittaker: Thank Jasus. That woulda ruined it.
Wildride Robert Roy: Linda Hamilton.
Crissie McBride: crissie mcbride 😉
Terry Whittaker: Billy Connolly even
Michael Whitehead: Billy Crystal?
Erik Sage: Chuck Norris.
Robert J. Peterson: You mean besides zombie Steve McQueen? Kidding. Good call from Jim, re: Steven Seagal. I’d also submit Kurt Russell. Matt Damon on Bourne cred alone. Jesse Ventura, or is he in the dang thing? Carl Weathers. Maybe Tom Cruise. But that’s alre…ady a stretch. Stallone really rounded up everyone. The one guy who I think would’ve been great, but … alas: Patrick Swayze. Wolverines, baby.
Sean Broe: where was Cynthia Rothrock?? She’s still alive right? She was hot lol.
Terry Whittaker: Wesley Snipes? But it would have to be a jailbreak film.

Death did not appear to be an obstacle to these casting suggestions, with guys like Steve McQueen and repeatedly Charles Bronson coming up. Then again, being alive didn’t keep some names from coming once the question turned specifically to which dead actors would have belonged in such a film’s cast.

Left to right: The Expendables Afterlife heroes Steve McQueen, Errol Flynn, Robert Mitchum, Bruce Lee, Charles Bronson, John Wayne, Lee Marvin.

Test yourself. Play the Dead or Alive game. See if you know which of these people who were recommended for an Expendables: Afterlife crew are, in fact, not dead.

Their most worthy enemy: Lee Van Cleef.

Mick_Gill: Bruce Lee. Got to have John Wayne!
TheGeneius: #deadexpendables Charles Bronson!… Gotta have the mechanic!
aboynamedart: Steve McQueen, Robert Mitchum, Fred Williamson should be in the discussion, I think.
scottEweinberg: Wouldn’t #alltimeexpendables or #expendableshalloffame be better than #deadexpendables? ;0)
cheese1976: Now make a list for the other expendables! …John Candy, Phil Hartman, etc.
BobbyBless219: Lee Marvin #DeadExpendables
Cavatica: Lee Van Cleef and Lee Marvin could be added there too.
pjstoneson: Would suggest adding James Coburn to #DeadExpendables
tragedyman: How many people have mentioned Errol Flynn? #DeadExpendables
dimensionofmind: #DeadExpendables Errol Flynn before he got too drunk, and Burt Lancaster just awesome!
dimensionofmind: #DeadExpendables Tom Cruise, his career’s dead, does that count? Bazinga! : )
KanUDig_It: James Cagney, James Coburn, and Lee Van Cleef would have to be added. LVC would be a great villain.
EnnisDL: #DeadExpendables The list would not be complete without George Peppard. He loved it when a plan came together.
drinkmoxie: Lee Marvin and Warren Oates #DeadExpendables
Nick Turk: Well, you couldn’t NOT cast Bruce Lee, could you? So why not write in a father/son team and cast Brandon while you’re at it? Even better, how about the legendary Shih Kien on villain duties?
Robert Welkner: dead actors…….or actors with dead careers? cuz that’s what the movie already was 🙂
Michael Shea: i like bruce and brandon Lee.add charles bronson pluss Lee mareyweather.of course The Duke himself– John Wayne.
Christoffer Andersson: Toshiro Mifune
Clayton Black: How about a western Expendables? Roy Rodgers, Gene Autry, Steve McQueen, Randolph Scott, John Wayne and of course Clint Eastwood.
Adam Joel Sampson: ‎3 Letters: CGI
Clara Mathews: Robert Mitchum, Steve McQueen, James Garner, Charles Bronson, Erroll Flynn and Bruce Lee. How is that for classic action stars?
Alex Langley: ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Helen Oetken Barnard: Joan Crawford, Judy Garland, Audrey Hepburn. Skipping down a yellow brick road waving wire hangers maniacally at young girls all the way to Emerald City. Loverly. (I once started a comic strip with those three as super villains but soon made like a zombie and wandered away from the idea.)
ysabelkid: How about David Carradine and Yul Brynner? #DeadExpendables

Related post:
* The Expendables (2010) Trailer
Related comic:
* Action Chick vs. The Rejectables Pt. 1