Expendables 4: The Raid's Iko Uwais Opens Up About Working With "Senior Players"

The Expendables 4 is coming soon, and it will see the return of some franchise favorites as well as some exciting newcomers. One big name on the list is Iko Uwais, who is set to play the fourth movie's villain.  Uwais is no stranger to action, having starred in The Raid Redemption, The Raid 2, and more. However, that doesn't mean he's not eager to learn from some of the greats. The Expendables 4 is set to feature the return of Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, and Randy Couture. During a recent chat with Okezone, Uwais opened up about working with the seasoned action stars. 

"Experience is very valuable for me to share a frame with senior players, who have a lot of experience. There are a lot of things that we share, what we think about them, beyond expectations," Uwais said.

It was originally unclear if the movie was going to be an official fourth film or a spin-off about Statham's character, Lee Christmas, but a previous report from The Hollywood Reporter indicated that it will be a little bit of both. It appears Statham will have a bigger role than Stallone this time around. In fact, Stallone wrote on Instagram back in October that he was done with the franchise and "ready to pass the baton on to Jason." 

In addition to Uwais and the returning actors, Expendables first-timers also include Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Megan Fox, and Tony Jaa. The film is set to be directed by former stuntman Scott Waugh, who also helmed Need For Speed. Currently, there's no word on whether or not any of the other big names will be returning for the fourth installment. Previous Expendables movies have featured Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jet Li, Bruce Willis, Terry Crews, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Harrison Ford, Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Mickey Rourke, Mel Gibson, Chuck Norris, Ronda Rousey, and more. Statham is also going to be producing the movie alongside Les Weldon, Yariv Lerner, Jeffrey Greenstein, and Jonathan Yunger.

Back in November, Statham took to Instagram to praise Uwais's work. 

"A real honour to spend some screen time with the incredibly talented @iko.uwais. A true master of his game and a powerhouse of speed and skills that take a lifetime to achieve. Massive respect for all that you do brother," Statham wrote. "Huge respect brother. Such an honor to be in one frame with you.. 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙏🏼," Uwais replied. 

Expendables 4 does not have a release date, but it is expected to be released in 2022.