Don’t expect to see Jason Statham joining the MCU or DCU anytime soon.
Statham, who recently starred in the franchise sequel Expend4bles, will next appear in David Ayer’s upcoming action movie The Beekeeper. It’s the latest in a long line of roles for Statham that feature the actor beating up bad guys, but even with dozens of movies under his belt, he still has yet to take on a major role in a superhero movie. Per Variety, Statham explained why he’s not pursuing those kinds of films, suggesting he’s just much more interested in traditional action flicks.
“I don’t have a big appetite for a costume, with cape and tights,” Statham said. “I like old school 80s movies. I was inspired by people like [Sylvester] Stallone and Arnold [Schwarzenegger]. And even before those guys, Steve McQueen, Paul Newman and [Clint] Eastwood. I just couldn’t see any of those guys putting on a cape, and a mask and going around on wires.”
This is not to say that Statham is against the genre, but that he’s just not interested in it. The actor added, “Cinema is like music. Some people like Country and Western, others like heavy metal. I’m drawn to a bit more of a grounded kind of action… Well, I like being grounded to be an element we inject into the crazy world that we’re in.”
Statham may not have joined the MCU, but he’s been a part of several other major franchises. Along with the Expendables series, he’s been featured in the Fast & Furious franchise, including his own spinoff film alongside Dwayne Johnson in Hobbs & Shaw. With his more recent roles, the actor also recently starred in the giant shark sequel Meg 2: The Trench and had a major role in Guy Ritchie’s spy comedy film Operation Fortune: Rose de Guerre.
Jason Statham Hopes His Next Film Will Spawn a Sequel
In The Beekeeper, helmed by Suicide Squad director David Ayer, Statham plays Adam Clay, a former operative from a clandestine organization now living a quiet life tending to bees and living in the barn of an elderly woman (Phylicia Rashad). When the woman is scammed out of her savings, Statham’s Clay seeks out revenge. The action thriller, which is written by Kurt Wimmer, also stars Emmy Raver-Lampman, Josh Hutcherson, Minnie Driver, and Jeremy Irons.
“The whole movie escalates in terms of the action. And it goes through an incredible, great crescendo,” Statham also said of his new film, hoping this one will spawn a new franchise as well. “The whole world [of the film] has a mythology of the ‘beekeeping’ world. If we were fortunate enough to make a sequel, we have a whole world that we can dive into.”