When we first learned of plans for a female-led Expendables spin-off, the reaction from fans of the action franchise was extremely positive. After all, the main series had focused on legends like Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Jet Li, so the prospect of some badass women stepping into the spotlight...well, it had real potential.
Unfortunately, the movie has been stuck in development hell, and Millennium Films President Jeffrey Greenstein has now shed some light on why this project hasn't become a reality.
"With The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Salma’s character was just so much fun, it made sense to build the second film around her. We also like working with the same people, so we did Till Death with Megan and she’s in the new Expendables," he tells The Hollywood Reporter. "It’s really just about working with talented people."
"But I will say something: We’d been trying to develop The Expendabelles, a female version of The Expendables, but my problem with that project was always trying to find a way to justify why we’d have a woman team. Instead of trying to explain that, why not just have women on the regular team and [they’re] badass?"
"Instead of having to explain why a women character got there and all that," Greenstein continued, "you just do what you’d do with a man: show them kicking ass."
It's a valid point, and Hollywood has changed significantly since The Expendabelles was first announced. The reaction to Avengers: Endgame's "A-Force" moment shows that many women don't want to be pandered to, hence why the likes of Charlie's Angels and Ocean's Eight have struggled to find an audience.
Megan Fox joining the upcoming fourth instalment is a step in the right direction, though it's unclear how many other women will join her in that formidable team of action heroes.
The Expendables 4 is set to arrive in theaters on September 22, 2023.