In a sea of action stars for the cast of Lionsgate's upcoming The Expendables 4, the most exciting and stand-out cast member may not even be one. In past installments of the ongoing The Expendables series, fans have usually expected to see big-name stars of the ’80s and ’90s emblazoned and featured in marketing materials - a who’s who of classic action stars of the past. Be it Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean Claude Van-Damme, or even Fast & Furious’ own Jason Statham; whenever one sees their names, they usually know what they’ll get for the price of their ticket. However, from time to time, non-action stars will show up, like Kevin Hart or Leslie Nielsen crashing a serious joint for comedic purposes. In The Expendables 4's case, this might be the jolt of energy the series needs.
The Expendables series is in an interesting position in terms of its overall status and star power. With each successive installment, the cast list of those who ally with, make up, or are sworn enemies of the titular mercenary group has grown, threatening to collapse the series under its own excess. Such was the case with 2014's poorly received The Expendables 3, whose absurdly long top-billed cast of 17 stars more akin to a Marvel Cinematic Universe flick, a lack of high-stakes threats, and a watered-down PG-13 rating compared to the first two's gleefully violent R left critics and audiences baffled. For The Expendables 4, some lessons have been learned from the previous film's failures - a smaller cast and a return to the R-rating among them. Even then, there is still room for an outsider surprise to join Barney Ross and the gang.
For The Expendables 3, it was MMA athlete Ronda Rousey, who would star in Furious 7 a year later - though her skills certainly fit the bill. For The Expendables 4, it is Megan Fox. While this casting choice may seem unusual at first, a closer examination reveals that she just might be the most exciting cast member to join the film. For much of her career, Fox has been typecast in more romantically appealing roles in blockbuster franchises such as the first two Transformers films (in the role of Mikaela Banes), being reduced to eye candy for more masculine-skewing audiences.
There were exceptions, of course, such as the poorly marketed horror-comedy Jennifer’s Body, but as her career has gone on, her range and role selection have increased. Recently, Fox’s acting portfolio has diversified with dramatic and comedic flair, from a guest spot on the TV series New Girl and the films This is 40 and The Dictator, an appearance in Eminem's controversial “Love the Way You Lie” music video, to voicing and acting two iconic female characters of Superman and TMNT comics and cartoons past, Lois Lane and April O’Neil. With many of these The Expendables roles relying upon playing off of others with witty dialogue and banter among its ensemble cast, someone of Fox’s stature could be a breath of fresh air to offset its muscular style, bringing levity to the proceedings. Given the right script and character to work off of, she might even be the standout actor of the whole film.
In addition, The Expendables series' R-rating may allow Fox to run wild with the material on screen in a way that hasn’t been seen since Jennifer’s Body. With an all-female spinoff for the franchise The ExpendaBelles all but ready to go, a successful performance from Fox might allow her to remain with the franchise and increase her viability in action tentpoles long-term.
As The Expendables series moves on without Stallone following the conclusion of the fourth film and towards future spin-offs and sequels, the addition of a cast member like Megan Fox may allow the series to readily join its older counterpart in Fast & Furious in breaking the mold and introducing exciting opportunities for cast members outside the action genre, leaving Fox not just the most exciting cast member for The Expendables 4, but quite possibly for the future of the franchise itself.
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