Does Sylvester Stallone die in The Expendables 4? After three sequels and a bizarre tie-in comic, Stallone has decided to retire Barney Ross for good, handing the reins to Jason Statham.
The Expendables has been putting together some of the best action movie stars ever for several installments now, each one featuring different legends. For The Expendables 4 cast, we get Megan Fox and Iko Uwais as fresh faces, pushing us toward a new era in the franchise.
You can find out what we think in our The Expendables 4 review, but does Sylvester Stallone die in The Expendables 4? What’s his plan in the new movie? There’s nothing confidential about these findings, and you can read on to find out.
Does Sylvester Stallone die in Expendables 4?
No, Sylvester Stallone does not die in Expendables 4, but you’d be forgiven for thinking so since he’s gone for most of the film.
Towards the start, it looks like Stallone’s character, Barney Ross, dies in a plane crash on a mission gone south. He gets a funeral from the rest of the squad, and they all commiserate about his passing. But the classic rule applies: if there’s no body, they aren’t really dead.
Jason Statham gets saved during the last fight by Barney in a chopper, who blasts the remaining movie villains and brings the two of them to safety. This was all part of an elaborate plan.
Years ago, Barney took part in a failed operation, the findings of which were sealed away. Only his death would unseal those files, and they needed that information to catch the baddie portrayed by Iko Uwais.
So Barney faked his passing and let his team move ahead when they got fresh leads, arriving just in the nick of time to help them for the final stretch. Then, like every Expendables movie before, he celebrates with them in the local bar.
A curious move since Stallone has been vocal that he’s leaving The Expendables behind for Jason Statham to take over. But Hollywood never fully closes a door, I guess.
The Expendables 4 is in theatres now. Check out our lists of the best thriller movies and the Fast and Furious movies in order for more explosions, and you may also like our guides on Reacher season 2 and Avatar 3.