Jason Statham Once Had 6 Flops in a Row Before The Expendables 2

When it comes to action films, stars like Keanu Reeves or Tom Cruise may come to mind first, but Jason Statham is arguably as well-known in the genre. Beginning with the Transporter trilogy, the actor has been renowned for his effortlessly cool-looking martial arts and has been in numerous other successful action franchises, including The Expendables, Crank, Fast & Furious, and The Mechanic.

Having said that, most people are unaware that, despite his unrivaled success in the Transporter films, Statham experienced a long, exhausting descent in his career during the early 2010s, when six of his movies flopped in succession. Nonetheless, he rose from the ashes to reestablish himself as the action king, eventually appearing in some of the most entertaining films, including Spy, Fast & Furious, and The Beekeeper. So, what was the film that sparked his comeback, and how did it help him gather much-needed momentum?

The Expendables 2

Release Date

August 12, 2012

Jason Statham Had Six Consecutive Flops Before The Expendables 2

Jason Statham is best known for his action roles in the Crank and Transporter films, but he has also been in numerous other flicks, some of which established him as a veteran and others disappointed fans. The early 2010s were particularly turbulent for Statham, as he struggled with a series of flops following his incredible run with Transporter 3 and Crank: High Voltage.

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Beginning with 13, the actor appeared in the films Gnomeo & Juliet, an animated fantasy comedy, The Mechanic, one of his most underappreciated action flicks, Killer Elite, an action thriller starring Robert De Niro and Clive Owen, and lastly, Blitz, an action film based on Ken Bruen’s novel. Unfortunately, all of these films were either box office failures or had little critical success, resulting in a bad streak for the iconic Statham, who is regarded as one of the greatest action stars of the 21st century. For a more concise explanation of how these films performed, here’s a detailed table demonstrating the box office numbers and audience ratings:

As seen in the table above, almost every film is a letdown for both critical and commercial audiences, with the exception of Gnomeo & Juliet, which made a relatively huge box office profit of $193.7 million on a meager $36 million budget. However, Statham did not voice the main protagonist in the film, but rather Tybalt, the archenemy of Gnomeo and Benny. While it wasn’t necessarily a minor role, considering the character’s significance to the plot, it wasn’t considered Statham’s movie. As a result, Statham endured a lengthy streak of disasters before finding his well-deserved success in The Expendables 2, which starred a number of other A-listers.

How The Expendables 2 Restored His Winning Streak

Outside the Fast & Furious and The Meg franchises, The Expendables 2 is Jason Statham’s highest-grossing picture, in which he plays a former SAS soldier and the Expendables team’s right-hand man who is fiercely loyal to Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone). The film brilliantly capitalized on the success of the prequel and upped the ante in all aspects, from the over-the-top action sequences to the nostalgia element that drove the movie to commercial and critical success.

To be more specific, The Expendables 2 received a Rotten Tomatoes score of 68% (Tomatometer) and 67% (Popcornmeter) while earning a staggering $315 million on a $100 million budget. While it might seem like a reasonable gross given the film’s equally massive budget, it should be noted that the cast includes Sylvester Stallone, Liam Hemsworth, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jet Li, Chuck Norris, Randy Couture, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Scott Adkins, and Dolph Lundgren. After playing a key role in The Expendables 2, Jason Statham’s future looked bright, as he promptly earned roles in Fast & Furious and returned for The Expendables 3, considered another intriguing addition to the long-running franchise.

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After proving himself as a terrific actor in all of these parts, he was offered other similar roles, including the extremely successful popcorn film The Meg and the highly anticipated fourth installment of The Expendables franchise. Unfortunately, The Expendables 4, which was recently released, is considered a flop, prompting many fans to wonder if there will ever be another film in the franchise since Statham plays such a prominent role in every iteration. Despite its underwhelming reception, the rumor is that the franchise has two more movies planned, with The Expendables 5 divided into two parts and serving as the final installment.

While the first half could be released in 2025, the second is scheduled for 2027, though there may be production delays. Naturally, The Expendables 5 will feature an increasing number of action stars, just like The Expendables 4 did with Tony Jaa and Iko Uwais. Hopefully, The Expendables 5 will provide Jason Statham with another exhilarating start similar to The Expendables 3, especially given his fondness for action roles and a continuing string of disasters, like Meg 2: The Trench, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, and Fast X. The Expendables 2 is streaming on Sling TV.