Big casting news for 'Expendables 3'

The Expendables movie franchise is clearly a winning one at the box office, and with two successful films already, producers are hoping to go three for three. Sylvester Stallone is a clever guy. He knows his fans want high-octane action and he definitely delivers the goods with the Expendables movies.

Stallone's aging acting buddies should be grateful they've been included in the franchise, which shows little sign of slowing down. From Arnold Schwarzenegger to Jason Statham to Dolph Lundgren, every star cast in these movies has probably seen a big boost in popularity (and a nice fat paycheck). As someone who grew up in the age of the great 80s action films, even I have to admit it's kind of fun to watch these guys doing their thing.

Are you a big fan of Bruce Willis in The Expendables? If so, you're going to hate this news: Willis is out for The Expendables 3. That's certainly regrettable, but wait until you hear who is in! Here's a hint: He's played some of the most iconic roles in movies, including Indiana Jones and Han Solo. Yep, it's Harrison Ford. He's joining the cast of The Expendables 3 people. It is happening.

Look, I'll be honest, I don't think this Expendables franchise is Oscar-winning stuff. It's fluff, and sometimes that's perfectly okay. The Harrison Ford casting is interesting, and extremely surprising. I honestly didn't think he'd do it. But hey, it fits: Ford just turned 71 years young, and there just aren't that many action films he can rock anymore. This could be fun.

Here's what's not fun: Apparently there's some bad blood between Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis. I say this because Stallone pretty much said as much via his tweets announcing that Harrison Ford was on board (and Willis was out). In addition to saying he'd "been waiting years for this," Stallone also tweeted "greedy and lazy.....a sure formula for career failure."

Maybe he wasn't talking about Bruce Willis. It's just a coincidence, right? Something's up, and while I certainly don't condone greediness or laziness, I'm not sure Willis is entering career failure at this point.

A quick glance at the official Expendables 3 IMDb page reveals a lot more casting news for this film. I think I must live under a rock, because until today I had no idea that Jackie Chan and Nicolas Cage were also on board. I also see Wesley Snipes listed, and apparently Mel Gibson might also play the villain.  Just wow.

Are you a fan of The Expendables movies? If so, are you stoked about the addition of Harrison Ford, or are you seriously bummed about the apparent expendability of Bruce Willis?

Photo courtesy of Cinema Blend