Ifølge Twitch Wesley Snipes, Jackie Chan, 50 Cent, Kurt Russell, Forest Whitaker, Steven Seagal, Scott Adkins og Jean-Claude Van Damme siges at have afvist filmen. På den følgende pressekonference forklarer Van Damme, hvorfor han spiller i Sylvester Stallones Testosteron Action Knaller «The Expendables» abgelehnt hat:
[…] To be in the movie, and after JCVD and EAGLE PATH and it was between that, he said: «I want you to be in THE EXPENDABLES» and I said: «Whats my character?» And he go: «You know JC, you gonna make lots of money, doesnt matter, you gonna make money. And we go: BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.» […] Yeah, I understand, but I would like to know what am I doing?» […] «Well you know, you gonna talk with Jet Li and you gonna have a fight.» And I say: «Keep It.» And he thinks I am a kid. He go: «You know, you win the fight, then I am coming in and Boom, Boom, Boom.» And I said: «What do you mean? BOOM, BOOM, BOOM? Whats my story?» […] «Who gives a fuck, you gonna make money.» And I said: «SLY I cannot work this way.» And then he hang up on me. Then I call him back like an idiot, an idiot […] He go: «Ey, this is very insulting, and you insulting me, you.» […] I said: «SLY, when I saw ROCKY I put the bun on my head and I run like I think I was Rocky.» That was my end story with THE EXPENDABLES. […] But Stallone is a very very smart man, he’s got a big heart, truly. And he’s a brilliant writer and a brilliant director! That’s why I asking all those questions about characters […]