It has been confirmed that the fourth installment of the "Expendables" franchise will begin filming this fall.
The confirmation was made by Randy Couture at the Arnold Sports festival held at Columbus, Ohio, after, which a message appeared on Twitter to confirm the report. The message from the reporter's Twitter handle (@TheArnoldFans) read, "Randy Couture confirms "Expendables 4" starts filming this fall! #Schwarzenegger."
However, bearing in mind that Schwarzenegger was tagged in the post, there has not been any official confirmation from him or Sylvester Stallone. Yet, the silence about the fourth chapter of the action franchise has long prevailed for some months now.
According to Flickering Myth, there have been several rumors, nevertheless, and one of them indicates that Stallone could leave "Expendables 4" after his Oscars nomination for his Rocky Balboa's role in "Creed." Terry crews made a commentary earlier in the year after Stallone won the award saying that the latter may turn his focus to "Creed."
Besides this, a new speculation has also filled the air claiming that Steve Austin has been drawn on as a villain in the upcoming movie. With no assurance that the reports are authentic, critics believe that Austin could, after all, return to the fourth installment after having performed in "Expendables 1."
If the rumor turns out to be true, "Stone Cold" will join another legendary actor Hulk Hogan, who has also claimed to be appearing in the cast. Hogan initially asserted that he could not refuse the offer since Stallone helped him to get his "first shot at the spotlight." There is also a possibility that he might replace Stallone as Barney Ross because as the "Rocky Balboa" character may continue his work on the "Creed" sequel.
There is also a possibility that the "Expendables 4" cast might as well feature Dwayne Johnson, better known as "The Rock." This follows Johnson's disclosure last year that he would like to be a villain rather than a hero in the movie.
Meanwhile, it is already confirmed that Schwarzenegger and Jason Statham will be returning to reprise their roles. Other cast members anticipated include Couture, Dolph Lundgren, and Crews.
Most of the rumors are not yet dependable, and it is likely that many of the members have either expressed their interest in the movie or have been approached as they claim, Movies With Butter reported. Fans should, therefore, stay alert for official confirmations.
For the moment, "Expendables 4" is set for a 2017 release.
Watch a clip showing Hogan's talk about his "Expendables 4" role here: