Jason Statham, who recently starred in the continuation of the Expend4bles franchise, will next appear in David Ayer’s upcoming action film “The Beekeeper“. This is the last of Statham’s long series of roles, in which the actor beats bad guys, but even with dozens of films under his belt, he has yet to play the main role in a superhero movie. In Variety, Statham explained why he does not appear in such films, suggesting that he is simply much more interested in traditional action movies.
“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.
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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.RELATED:
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“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.”