“Action heroes never retire…they reload,” said Arnold Schwarzenegger once. The 76-year-old actor who is synonymous with saving the world and his action movie legacy has brought a lot to Hollywood. From big guns to high-octane thrillers, the legend has always put action first. To lay credence to his stature, Netflix even made him its Chief Action Officer. However, despite this, The Terminator star sat out of the latest installment of one of his famed outings, The Expendables.

After starring in a trilogy together with friend-rival Sylvester Stallone, Schwarzenegger had his own reasons for ditching the franchise. Interestingly, along with other reasons, Stallone was involved in there as well.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was unhappy ever since Expendables 3

The Expendables franchise exploded to debut fame at the box office in 2010, as it rode on the backs of 80s legends, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. However, while Stallone returned for one more breath of fire in the upcoming Expendables 4, the T-800 star did not. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly back in 2017, the ex-governor of California revealed that he had more or less opted out of it when talks went around of Stallone not reprising his role. “I would never do the movie without him,” he added.

The actor also had other reservations. For one, he did not think that the script for the third movie had done his character, Trent, enough justice. Further, the Exp4dables script did not carry much redemption or pack enough punch to make Schwarzenegger change his mind. “if …my part is very well-developed, I would do it. If not, then I won’t do it,” he revealed. Regardless, instead of idling around, the star moved ahead with his own catalog of new action productions.

However, Schwarzenegger was not the only star to sit out on the fourth Expendables movie. Another acclaimed action legend had to bow out of acting altogether.

Original cast member Bruce Willis lost out Expend4ables to his health

The Expendables made a thrilling debut as it looked to restore the 80s Hollywood action legacy to the millennial audience. Along with Stallone and Schwarzenegger, Die Hard fame and veteran action hero, Bruce Willis, too, was among the original cast. However, Willis had to take a permanent exit from acting due to his condition of frontotemporal dementia.

Although never forgotten and endearingly remembered by Schwarzenegger himself, Willis had a big impact on the series. Meanwhile, Stallone too played his part to a bare minimum in the fourth movie as he looked to hand over the guard to a new cast. Regardless, after delivering a timeless action classic, Schwarzenegger, Stallone, and Willis shall forever remain Hollywood’s beloved action legends.

What are your thoughts on Schwarzenegger’s absence in Expendables 4? What are your reviews of the movie? Let us know in the comments below.