The Expendables men, step aside. It is time for some of the greatest female action superstars to rule the big screen with the tentatively titled Expendabelles — the all-female spin-off of the long-running The Expendables franchise. This is the movie we have been waiting for ever since Sylvester Stallone did the unthinkable by bringing together some of the greatest male action superstars with the first film in the franchise in 2010. So, we have a cast wishlist for the all-female Expendabelles, and we hope the spin-off gives us what we want as fans of action cinema.
An all-female version of The Expendables was mooted back in 2014. Nothing came out of it. But at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in mid-May, Eclectic Pictures and Hollywood Ventures Group revealed that they are working on the “female-driven expansion” with the backing of Lionsgate, which holds the rights to the franchise.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the spin-off will be set in the late 1990s at the height of the Y2K confusion and will feature a new generation of elite female operatives. Except for the names in the production team, nothing else is known. So, there is no official cast announcement yet. That’s an excellent opportunity for us to present our own list of favourite female action stars who we’d want to see in Expendabelles.
The 1990s as a setting means we get a great range of talent. Hollywood already has a deep bench of actresses who have led action franchises, performed demanding stunt work and built loyal fan followings. But right across the Pacific, Hong Kong has given us some of the greatest female action superstars, without whom the genre would lose its edge.
This is why our list of superstars includes names from across major film industries who we are sure can draw fans to theatres. Some are long retired, but bringing them back to the big screen could mark a defining moment in cinema. After all, one of the biggest reasons The Expendables worked so well with action fans is because it bet rightly that bringing together a galaxy of action superstars from a bygone era has an unmatched nostalgic pull for audiences across generations.
Action stars we want to see in the all-female Expendabelles
Michelle Yeoh
Blame it on the predictability of franchise action movies; someone in the Expendabelles will be the female equivalent of Stallone’s Barney Ross. And who better than Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh? The Malaysian acting titan is the bona fide queen of action with a long and storied history as a martial arts superstar. Yeoh gave a new dimension to Hong Kong cinema with Yes, Madam (1985) and Police Story 3: Super Cop (1992) before starring as Wai Lin, one of the few Bond girls who is more than eye candy, in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). Her exceptional speed, athleticism, improvisation and effectiveness in action sequences are evident in movies such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Fearless (2006), Reign of Assassins (2010) and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021). And Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) has proved that she can do martial arts as artistically as playing the dramatic role of an immigrant trying to run a laundromat, keep her family together, and save the multiverse — all at once.
Scarlett Johansson
After more than a decade as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Scarlett Johansson has proven she can handle espionage, hand-to-hand combat and superhero egos. She could be the perfect equivalent of Jason Statham’s Lee Christmas. But don’t assume we are picking Johansson only because she is an Avenger. She has played the femme fatale Silken Floss in The Spirit (2008), a super-powered woman fighting to save her life in Lucy (2014), a cybernetic supercop in Ghost in the Shell (2017) and an intrepid mercenary up against dinosaurs in Jurassic World Rebirth (2025). That’s an arc not even male action heroes, some of whom are unnecessarily paid more, can boast of.
Zoe Saldaña
Oscar-winner Zoe Saldaña is one of the most sought-after stars in Hollywood. Her standout performances in some of the most acclaimed movies of the 21st century prove her mettle as an actor and an action icon. She gained prominence playing Nyota Uhura in Star Trek (2008) and became one of the most recognisable faces in the world following her performance as Neytiri in Avatar (2009). Then came Gamora in MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), and Saldaña cemented her place as one of the most reliable action performers in cinema. She is currently playing CIA officer Joe McNamara, the leader of a group of female operatives, in Lioness (2023–present). Consider that as her application for Expendabelles, perhaps?
Kim Ok-vin
Despite being a trained Taekwondo, Muay Thai and Hapkido practitioner, South Korean star Kim Ok-vin did not begin her career in action movies. Instead, she gained international fame with Park Chan-wook’s Thirst (2009), starring alongside the inimitable Song Kang-ho, and did a series of acclaimed non-action roles over the next few years. But her image changed overnight with The Villainess (2017). Indeed, the breathtaking action choreography by Kwon Kwi-duk and scenes inspired by first-person shooting games play key roles in making The Villainess one of the greatest action movies of all time. But Kim’s undeniably stellar performance as an assassin-for-hire out for revenge imprints the movie in the minds of audiences. She does all the heavy lifting with an unmatched flair for any star in recent years. In her character’s hands, even an eraser can be as deadly as a dagger. For a team like Expendabelles, having someone like that could be a decisive factor.
JeeJa Yanin
Yanin ‘JeeJa’ Vismitananda is a Thai martial arts legend who made an immediate impact in action cinema with her debut movie Chocolate (2008). She has since maintained her action profile with films such as Raging Phoenix (2009), Tom Yum Goong 2 (2013), Hard Target 2 (2016), Triple Threat (2019) and The Furious (2025). To understand how exceptional she is as a martial arts star, imagine an action scene with Tony Jaa. To match Jaa in Muay Thai on the screen is genius. To do the moves better than him? That’s JeeJa Yanin.
Ngô Thanh Vân aka Veronica Ngo
Like Kim Ok-vin, Vietnamese actor Veronica Ngo didn’t start her career as an action star. But her performance as a former gangster trying to save her daughter from kidnappers in Furie (2019) turned her into an international icon. Her raw, unflinching portrayal of a mother chopping down dangerous men is gratifying for anyone tired of this patriarchal world. In Furie, Ngo’s character blends into an environment she left long ago, only to hunt down the people whose moves she can predict. That should be an essential trait for anyone in a mercenary team such as Expendabelles.
Michelle Rodriguez
Michelle Rodriguez has spent decades portraying tough, fearless characters since making her acting debut with Girlfight (2000), in which she played a boxer. Over the years, she built up an enviable résumé boasting of major box office juggernauts, including Fast & Furious franchise (2001, 2009–present), Resident Evil franchise (2002, 2012) and the twin movies Machete (2010) and Machete Kills (2013). She is also one of the few stars who can take pride in being part of James Cameron’s Avatar (2009), one of the highest-grossing films of all time. She can box, shoot, drive like there is no tomorrow, and fly a chopper on an alien planet. In short, to have an Expendabelles without Rodriguez is simply unthinkable.
Kate Beckinsale
The Underworld (2003–2016) star remains one of the most popular action icons in Hollywood. The success of the vampire-action franchise led to similar roles for Beckinsale, and she hit every single one of them out of the ballpark. Van Helsing (2004), Whiteout (2009), Contraband (2012), Total Recall (2012), Jolt (2021), Stolen Girl (2025) and Wildcat (2025) — each of the movies showcase how perfectly her characters blend feminine charm with devastatingly deadly combat moves.
Ana de Armas
Armas could play the youngest of the lot in Expendabelles. The Cuban-Spanish actor earned her right to be featured among the most famous female action stars with her role as CIA agent Paloma in No Time to Die (2021). Though not appearing for more than 12 minutes of screen time, Armas ensures that James Bond fans are unable to get Paloma out of their minds. Her powerfully written character fights alongside 007 and overshadows the seasoned spy in some of the most electrifying action sequences in the film. Armas’ impact is undeniable. Perhaps this was why there weren’t any surprises when the makers of John Wick picked her as the lead in Ballerina (2025). And what a phenomenal choice she proved to be!
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron is capable of shouldering any action movie with her physical intensity. Her characters ooze power and confidence; they are almost always leaders in the stories, including Æon Flux (2005), Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Atomic Blonde (2017) and The Old Guard (2020). But the reason why we want to see her as the antagonist in Expendabelles is that her iconic villain, Cipher, towers over all the other characters in every Fast & Furious instalment since The Fate of the Furious (2017). She is so delightfully good as the cyberterrorist mastermind that the movies become watchable because of her.
Lucy Liu
If only Lucy Liu could become O-Ren Ishii once again on the big screen. Oh, what a win it would be for Expendabelles! As fans, we would always hope that the all-female spin-off of The Expendables gets an adversary as formidable as the Bride got in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill (2003 and 2004) movies. Liu is one of the greatest female action stars of all time. Her role as the resolute Princess Pei Pei in Jackie Chan’s Shanghai Noon (2000) led to worldwide popularity. She received even greater recognition as the elite secret agent Alex Munday in Charlie’s Angels (2000) and Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003). On that note, how about Liu playing a secret agent gone rogue in Expendabelles? Clichéd, yes, but there is no harm in exploring this idea for nostalgia’s sake.
Cynthia Rothrock
Yes, Madam turned Michelle Yeoh into a household name in Hong Kong, but it also gave action cinema the enigmatic Cynthia Rothrock. Widely hailed as one of the greatest female action stars of all time, Rothrock, an American, gained fame during the golden age of Hong Kong cinema in the ‘80s and the ‘90s. The real-life world champion in multiple martial arts disciplines delivered several hits in Hong Kong before entering the film industry in her home country. She usually played a righteous cop, such as Senior Inspector Carrie Morris in Yes, Madam, Senior Inspector Cindy Si in Righting Wrongs (1986) and Madam Law in The Inspector Wears Skirts (1988). To see Rothrock square off against Michelle Yeoh would be a once-in-a-lifetime moment for fans of action cinema. For a glimpse of how mind-blowing it will be, watch her kick and throw punches deftly at the great Sammo Hung in Millionaires Express (1986).
Milla Jovovich
Any female action ensemble is incomplete without the face of the Resident Evil films. Milla Jovovich has spent years battling zombies and evil corporations on screen. No matter the fate of the movies, Jovovich didn’t stop playing Alice until Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016). Even after the possible – that being the operative word here – end of the original storyline, she hasn’t stopped battling monsters on the screen. She hasn’t, however, played an antagonist, which is why it will be an interesting angle to explore.
Uma Thurman
The Expendables movies feature some of the greatest male action stars making impactful cameo appearances. So, Expendabelles might replicate the formula in some way. Imagine a scene where Lucy Liu’s antagonist is gaining the upper hand over our all-female heroic band. At that moment, Uma Thurman enters with a katana in hand to save the day. Action fans will lose their collective minds in theatres. Thurman has the potential of leaving a mark with perhaps an extended cameo, just like Arnold Schwarzenegger in the first three films of the franchise.
Angela Mao
Quentin Tarantino has cited her as an influence, and a teenage Jackie Chan appeared in her early films. Truly, Angela Mao can be credited with paving the way for female action stars on the big screen. Famously known as ‘Lady Kung Fu’, Mao often played the main lead in Hong Kong, Korean and international action movies of the 1970s. One of the movies she did was Enter the Dragon (1973), in which she played Bruce Lee’s sister. But her stature is so large that she was dubbed the female Bruce Lee by Hong Kong studios. In Hapkido (1972), her first major success, her role overshadows those of Carter Wong and Sammo Hung, both of whom would later become martial arts legends in their own right. Mao’s other major works include When Taekwondo Strikes (1973), The Shrine of Ultimate Bliss (1974), A Queen’s Ransom (1976), Broken Oath (1977) and Dance of Death (1979). If the makers plan the script well, Mao can be cast as a restaurateur in whose place the Expendabelles gather. That would be a nod to her new real-life identity as the owner of multiple restaurants in New York City.
Maggie Q
Known for her fluid moves with both fists and guns on the screen, the unstoppable Maggie Q built an enviable action résumé in a time and a place dominated by male action stars such as Bruce Willis and Tom Cruise. Following early success as an action star in Hong Kong with Gen-Y Cops (2000) and Naked Weapon (2001), Q made waves in Hollywood as an IMF agent in Mission: Impossible III (2006). Her other notable action movies include Live Free or Die Hard (2007), The King of Fighters (2010), Priest (2011) and The Protégé (2021). She has also left her mark on TV as Nikita Mears in Nikita (2010–2013), CW’s adaptation of Luc Besson’s iconic French film La Femme Nikita (1990). And her role as LAPD Detective Renée Ballard in Bosch (2014–21) was so popular, she got a spin-off show named after her character.
(Hero image: Lynsey Addario/Paramount+ – © Courtesy of Paramount+ 2023 via IMDb; IMDb; Andrew Cooper – © 2003 Miramax Films. All Rights Reserved. via IMDb / Featured image: IMDb; Allyson Riggs via IMDb)
This article first appeared here
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
