Expendables 4 Has Just Enough Good Taste To Cast The Raid Star Iko Uwais As The Villain

The "Expendables 4" cast is as huge as its stars' biceps. Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, and Sylvester Stallone will all return to reprise their roles from the other "Expendables" movies. Joining the cast are rapper Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Megan Fox ("Jennifer's Body"), Tony Jaa ("Furious 7"), and Andy Garcia ("Ocean's 11"). 

Deadline reports that "The Raid: Redemption" and "The Night Comes for Us" star Iko Uwais will be playing the villain in the upcoming installment, which is news that action fans can truly get excited for. 

The Evil Against The Expendables

It's been seven years since the watered-down, PG-13 "The Expendables 3." Stallone has joked on social media that the working title for the film is "A Christmas Story." Statham's character is named Lee Christmas, so it's entirely possible that the upcoming installment will focus more heavily on Statham. Otherwise, plot details have been kept under wraps, though Stallone did promise way back in 2014 that it would be rated R. Here's hoping he sticks to that promise.

Uwais plays a "former military officer-turned-arms dealer with his own private army." His joining as the villain is a great bit of casting, because he's excellent in everything he touches. The Indonesian actor, martial artist, stuntman, and fight coordinator is the real deal, which means we can expect to see some serious fight sequences between him and some of the other athletic cast members. Jaa has similar credentials, and Statham has a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, so there could be some absolutely incredible fights. The best part? Former stuntman Scott Waugh is set to direct, and if anyone knows how to shoot cool stunts, it's stunt people.

After the disappointment of the third "Expendables" outing, going bigger and bolder with the action sequences seems to be the best bet. By hiring some of the best double-threat actors and stuntmen working today, "The Expendables 4" might actually be the kind of explosive action ridiculousness the franchise has always promised. The first installment was a fair bit of fun, but the formula wore thin by movie number two. Here's hoping that the injection of fresh blood and serious talent can help give the franchise new life. 

If you want to see just what kind of incredible feats of action Uwais can get up to, check out director Timo Tjahjanto's wild action-horror movie "The Night Comes For Us" on Netflix, or the kick-and-punch bonanza of the "Wu Assassins" series, also on Netflix. 

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