Steven Seagal and The Expendables: Stallone reveals the backstory

In 2010, the promotion of the first chapter of The Expendables was underway, and Sylvester Stallone had spoken about some problems that had prevented Steven Seagal from joining the cast. Sixteen years later, the actor returns to the topic and offers a decidedly different reconstruction: he claims that his colleague would have done everything to get a part in the saga, even begging to be involved.

The issue resurfaced during an interview on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, hosted by Marina Hyde. When reminded that Seagal had always claimed to have refused the offer, Stallone reacted with disbelief: “What if I told you he was begging to be in it?” A response accompanied by the clarification that he holds no particular grudges against his colleague.

Two versions of the same failed agreement

In 2014, Seagal had attributed his absence to personal differences with some people involved in the production, while still expressing appreciation for Jason Statham and Jet Li. Stallone's position, however, has not always been the current one. As a guest on Howard Stern's radio show in 2010, he had spoken of a conflict between Seagal and one of the producers, indicating this as an obstacle to collaboration.

There remains, therefore, a discrepancy between the director's statements, who today claims that Seagal was not even invited, and what was said in the past. Certainly, the actor never appeared in the four films of the saga. His absence is curious considering the cast assembled by Stallone, who throughout the series involved Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Dolph Lundgren, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris, Harrison Ford, and Mel Gibson.

A star of very interesting action films like Nico – Above the Law and a martial arts master, he would have been a name perfectly in line with the nostalgia operation. His non-participation thus remains one of the most discussed unfulfilled collaborations in the history of the saga.