The competitive relationship between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone goes back almost four decades. The two actors were believed to be arch-nemesis in the movie industry for almost two decades until the 90s when they reconciled things. Following that, they even worked together on a handful of projects, including The Expendables.

The Expendables was perhaps one of the most star-studded films of its time. In addition to being a tremendous success, it featured fierce rivals Schwarzenegger and Stallone on-screen for the first time. However, working alongside the Austrian Oak was a peculiar experience for the Rocky star.

Sylvester Stallone on working with Arnold Schwarzenegger on The Expendables 

Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables united some of Hollywood’s biggest stars as an impressive cast of action heroes. The Rocky star shared the screen with some of his competitors, including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis. Interestingly, Stallone admitted on Entertainment Weekly in 2009 that he got emotional seeing the iconic trio come together. However, on seeing The Terminator star for the first time, the Creed actor could not help but channel his old feelings of rivalry with him. 

Unsurprisingly, the duo had a hilarious interaction when they first met on-set. Stallone even revealed to Schwarzenegger that he felt like shooting him when he had a chance. Furthermore, as competitive as they were, the two actors were trying to man up against each other during their cameo scene. However, despite the unspoken rivalry, The Expendables was a massive hit.

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The thriller project received an impressive response, grossing over $34 million within the first week. Following that, it went on to gross nearly $274.5 million worldwide. Meanwhile, despite being one of the biggest film series, Schwarzenegger refused to star in the fourth installment. 

Why did Arnold Schwarzenegger refuse to work on Expend4bles?

The Expendables 4 premiered recently on 22nd September. Unsurprisingly, the fans’ excitement was massive to witness the Rocky star back in action. However, they could not help but notice Schwarzenegger’s absence from the film. Apparently, The Terminator star “was done” with the movie. The Austrian Oak revealed to the Parade, “You know what, we have done this and I’m out of it.”

Stallone respected Schwarzenegger’s choice not to work on the movie. However, the film surely suffered without the Kindergarten Cop star. Despite having a $100 million budget, Expend4bles received a poor response during its first weekend. The fourth installment only earned $8.3 million during its first weekend, the lowest collection of any The Expendables movie. 

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What are your thoughts about Stallone’s comments regarding working with Schwarzenegger on The Expendables? Comment down below.