Despite being friends with Sylvester Stallone for twenty-five years, Jackie Chan refused to star in Stallone’s The Expendables series opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger, in Expendables 2 and 3. In a 2014 interview with Den of Greek, the martial arts legend explained the reason why he was hesitant to be a part of the Expendables series.
He asked Stallone a pointed question – “Sly, can’t we do just you and me? Not just a bunch of people and me coming out for only five minutes.” These words indicated how the martial arts legend was hesitant to be a part of a multi-starrer cast.
Continuing, he elaborated on his reluctance, to Den of Geek. “Because, then the audience is Oh! and then I’m gone.”, explained Chan. His words clearly hint at the fact that he didn’t want a minor role in the movie where the effect on the audience is short-lived.
At a press conference while promoting his movie CZ12 (Chinese Zodiac) in 2012. He stated, “Sly had invited me to be in Expendables 2 but I was too busy filming CZ12 and couldn’t make a commitment to the film.”