Arnold Schwarzenegger is also leaving "The Expendables"

Arnold Schwarzenegger as Trent Mauser in "The Expendables 2".

6 Apr – Previously, it was reported that Sylvester Stallone, who stars as Barney Ross in the "Expendables" franchise, would not be appearing in the upcoming "The Expendables 4" because he and Nu Image/Millennium's Avi Lerner disagreed on many aspects of the fourth instalment.

Now, Entertainment Weekly reports that Arnold Schwarzenegger is following his co-star's lead and will be taking a pass on the film as well.

When "The Expendables 4" was confirmed earlier in 2017, it seemed as if another action-packed Stallone-Schwarzenegger pair-up was inevitable, then Stallone passes up on the movie and suddenly, the whole project is cast in doubt.

Stallone was the star and one of the key creative forces behind the franchise, having co-written the first three films and directed the first instalment. And with him gone, things just wouldn't feel the same.

Arnold Schwarzenegger also shares that sentiment: "There is no "Expendables" without Sly. I would never do the movie without him, no."

The first time the beefy stars shared the screen was in 2010 for the first "The Expendables" film, though, at the time, Schwarzenegger's appearance in the film was more of a brief cameo.

However, he returned to play a larger role in "The Expendables 2" alongside Stallone. Then, they appeared together in 2013's "Escape Plan" before returning for "The Expendables 3" the following year.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (left) and Sylvester Stallone (right) at the latter's "Creed" premiere (Photo source: Arnold Schwarzenegger's Facebook).

The former governor also says that even if Stallone were to change his mind and return to the project, he still would not appear in the fourth film unless his character, Trent Mauser, is properly developed, which he feels did not happen in "The Expendables 3".

Schwarzenegger said that while he felt that the first and second films were good, the third – or at least, his part in it – was not written well. He didn't believe that his character had much value in "The Expendables 3".

Schwarzenegger has not seen the script for "The Expendables 4" and doesn't even know if a script has been written yet. He loves the franchise and if they were to make a good script in which his character is well-developed, then he would return.

So far, two stars of "The Expendables" have backed out and, at this point, you have to wonder if a fourth instalment will happen at all. Maybe creators can use this chance to develop the "Expendabelles" spin-off that was supposed to happen but never did.