The 1980s and 1990s are frequently hailed as the Golden Age of action films. This period introduced cinema to stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Dolph Lundgren—musclebound heroes renowned for wielding hefty guns and showcasing their impressive biceps. When Sylvester Stallone, one of the iconic action stars of that era, decided to honor those days in 2010 with the ensemble action film “The Expendables,” audiences eagerly filled theaters to watch.

In the movie, along with its three sequels, Stallone assembled a formidable cast of action legends, featuring names like Schwarzenegger, Van Damme, and Lundgren, alongside Bruce Willis, Wesley Snipes, and Jet Li. Even as Stallone expanded the franchise with more stars, accommodating modern action figures such as Liam Hemsworth, Terry Crews, and Jason Statham, one beloved ’80s action star was notably absent: Kurt Russell.

Despite recruiting major talents like Harrison Ford and Mel Gibson, Kurt Russell—who starred in action hits like “Escape From New York”—remained a significant omission. Interestingly, it wasn’t due to lack of effort on Stallone’s behalf; the “Rocky” actor did invite Russell to be part of the inaugural “Expendables” film in 2010. However, Russell, known for his role as Snake Plissken, declined the invitation.

As “The Expendables” was being developed, fans were eager for Stallone to involve Russell in the cast. Stallone himself openly admitted his attempts had been unsuccessful. “I know that many people have asked for Kurt Russell. I asked for him too,” Stallone shared in 2009. “Russell is not interested in ‘ensemble acting’ at this time.” Stallone noted that Russell preferred starring roles, and years later, Russell explained his reasoning: he didn’t quite grasp the essence of “The Expendables.”

“I’ve never seen any of [“The Expendables” films],” Russell mentioned to IGN in 2014, while discussing his involvement in “Furious 7.” “It’s not a beat I get. It’s like looking backwards to me.” While these comments weren’t meant as criticism towards Stallone and his films, Russell positively remarked about Stallone. “I’m glad Sly’s done well with this,” Russell stated. “He’s a great person. The fellas all seem to have a good time.”

Kurt Russell received praise for his “Furious 7” performance as Mr. Nobody, a mysterious government agent. But joining the “Fast & the Furious” series wasn’t a straightforward choice. Initially, upon being offered the role, he expressed a similar lack of interest as he did with “The Expendables.” As he revealed to GQ in 2016, massive blockbuster films didn’t attract him, and the initial framing of the part—as “a lieutenant arriving with his Special Ops team”—wasn’t compelling to him.

Thankfully for the franchise’s fans, he was talked into it by a friend. “He said, I just think it would be good for you,” Russell recalled. “And that was one of those times when I said, ‘Maybe you need to hear that—maybe you need to listen instead of just saying: I don’t think so’.” Makes one wonder what might have happened had Stallone pushed a little harder or asked a mutual friend to convince Russell to join “The Expendables.”