"They'll die when they're dead," says the not exactly subtle poster for The Expendables 4, the latest action extravaganza from the biggest biceps in the business.

After The Expendables 3 underperformed and was not well received critically, it looked like the series had been killed off but in 2021 the franchise was resurrected to be with most of the original cast returning.

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The series has always been a nostalgia play for those that love 80s and 90s action flicks as some of the biggest stars in movie history face off against each other but the fourth film appears to be looking a bit more to the future as it has scooped up an international array of stars to accompany the Hollywood legends.

Read on below for everything we know about The Expendables 4.

How to watch The Expendables 4

The Expendables 4 is out now in UK cinemas.

The film was first announced to be in development back in 2014, but for various reasons (including the pandemic) its production and release has been delayed many time.

The Expendables 4 reviews

Do The Expendables die hard or will they live to fight another day? Reviews for the fourth instalment of Sly's popular action franchise have made their way online, with many outlets chiming in on whether or not it's any good.

Our own write-up wasn't too impressed, with critic Freda Cooper saying "the film commits the cardinal sin for a Friday night movie: It’s dull." It's a sentiment that was echoed in The Guardian, with Peter Bradshaw suggesting that the cast are not just phoning it in but "texting it in."

The Independent highlighted its inclusion of female characters via newcomers Megan Fox and Levy Tran, something the series has fallen short on in past instalments. However, it wasn't enough to save it in their eyes, with their writer suggesting the movie's integral action scenes were "ruthlessly cut in a way that actively prevents us from seeing half of what’s going on."

Read our review round-up below:

Yahoo Movies UK: Time to retire this old-fashioned nonsense (3-min read)

The Guardian: Cigar-smoking Stallone leads way as retro franchise lumbers on (3-min read)

The Independent: Jason Statham and Megan Fox lead a tired, poorly made mess (3-min read)

The Telegraph: Expend4bles is a sequel so dire you’ll feel that even Sylvester Stallone deserved better (3-min read)

The Expendables 4 cast

The Expendables has always bragged a large ensemble cast and the fourth film is no different. Expendables architect Sylvester Stallone returns to the series (after briefly quitting the film in 2017) but he looks to have a limited role in the film, certainly compared to his top billing on previous installments. This will also be Stallone's last Expendables movie.

Jason Statham is also back with the film said to revolve around his character Lee Christmas more closely.

Rejoining the two action icons from previous films are Dolph Lundgren and former UFC champion Randy Couture who play Gunner and Toll Road respectively.

That means a lot of previous stars aren't back for number four including Terry Crews and Arnold Schwarzenegger who had starred in all previous films. Bruce Willis, Jean Claude Van Damme, Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Wesley Snipes and Antonio Banderas are some of the other names not returning.

There are however a number of big additions to the cast with The Raid star Iko Uwais cast as the main villain and Andy Garcia as a CIA agent.

A number of other stars joining the cast include Tony Jaa, 50 Cent, Jacob Scipio, Eddie Hall and Levy Tran. Megan Fox has also been cast in a prominent role as CIA operator Gina.

The Expendables 4 plot

The synopsis explains: "A new generation of stars join the world’s top action stars for an adrenaline-fueled adventure in Expend4bles. Reuniting as the team of elite mercenaries, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, and Sylvester Stallone are joined for the first time by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Jacob Scipio, Levy Tran, and Andy Garcia.

"Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on and the skills to use them, The Expendables are the world’s last line of defense and the team that gets called when all other options are off the table. But new team members with new styles and tactics are going to give “new blood” a whole new meaning."

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Directed by Scott Waugh and written by Kurt Wimmer, Max Adams and Tag Daggerheart, the film is also reported to be based on a script that was put forward for a standalone movie based on Statham's character.

The Expendables 4 trailer

The first trailer for the fourth Expendables movie was released online on 7 June. Watch it below:

The Expendables 4 is out in cinemas now