Expendables 4 Director Has A Familial Connection To The 1977 Spider-Man TV Series
When "The Expendables" first exploded into theaters back in 2010, the cast of aging action icons were already getting a little long in the tooth. Seeing Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis in the same scene together was still worth the price of admission, however. Incredibly, it's already been 10 years since "Expendables 3" came out as the weakest entry in the series, as it proved to be a marketing mistake to give the third installment a PG-13 rating. Part of the fun of this throwback franchise is seeing outlandish sequences of graphic violence. The audience for this wants to feel the arterial blood spray hitting the screen. As a result, the series has made the right course correction by making "Expendables 4" (aka "Expend4bles") R-rated.
Opening this weekend, it will be interesting to see if "Expendables 4" can recapture the box office glory it once enjoyed by putting old faces like Jason Statham front-and-center alongside Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, and Randy Couture. Coming in to inject some new blood and fresh energy is director Scott Waugh, who comes with an impressive pedigree from the stunt world before he made the move behind the camera. Previously, Waugh directed Aaron Paul's ill-fated high-octane chase film, "Need For Speed," and "Hidden Strike" starring Jackie Chan and John Cena, which became an international hit on Netflix. In retrospect, the overall '80s vibe of "Hidden Strike" made it the perfect audition for Waugh to show that he's more than capable of taking over for a fourth (and probably final) film in "The Expendables" franchise.
Surprisingly Waugh also has a comic-book connection with Marvel's friendly neighborhood teen superhero from Queens, dating all the way back to 1977. His father, Fred Waugh, was the stunt double for actor Nicholas Hammond's Spider-Man on the original CBS television series "The Amazing Spider-Man."
Like father, like son
In a recent /Film interview leading up to the release of "The Expendables 4," Waugh spoke about his web of connections linking him and his family to the legacy and lore of Spider-Man. When Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" single handedly reinvigorated the superhero genre, Waugh and his father happened to be on set before Raimi's unique blend of action and humor took the movie world by storm in May of 2002. The stuntman-turned-director recalled the experience, saying:
"When they asked my father and myself to come work on the Sam Raimi version, it was a lot of token appreciation for my father. And me, being his son, got to be there for that moment. To be honest [laughs], we didn't really do a hell of a whole lot on stunts, on that show. We were there as just supporters and excited just to be a part of Spider-Man."
As a lifelong fan, Raimi knew the significance of having Fred Waugh, who also worked as second unit director on the "Spider-Man" TV series, appear on set during filming. The original series may not be the most exciting interpretation of "Spider-Man" ever put on screen, but it is a crucial piece of pop culture history that still has a certain level of charm all these years later. It only lasted for two seasons, but obviously Raimi felt it was an important part of "Spider-Man" canon.
With any luck, "Expendables 4" will be a big enough hit to put Waugh's name in the hat of potential directors for a future "Spider-Man" movie. That would be a dream come true for the filmmaker, and a true full circle moment for his family. "I will say this, I hope one day I get to check that box and direct a Spider-Man," he said. "Because that would just, that would make my whole world, man. So, maybe, one day."
"Expend4bles" is set to hit theaters on September 22, 2023. Stay tuned for our full interview with Scott Waugh!