"I don’t mind killing people or crying," laughs Lundgren, "but at 4 in the morning when I’m burned out emotionally don’t ask me to be funny."

Looking for an athlete with fighting skills and star presence was utmost in Stallone’s mind when casting the role of Toll Road, the thinker of the group who exudes sheer brute force. He found all of it and more in Mixed Martial Arts champion, Randy Couture.

"Randy provided a face and a look that is a roadmap to confrontation, battle, discipline, pain," says Stallone. "Masculine with a glimpse of sensitivity in the eyes."

Couture who sports a ‘cauliflower ear’ caused by 20+ years of wrestling had to put that sensitivity to the test when Stallone wrote a monologue about the ear. "The monologue was in some ways easy for me," relates Couture, "because I was telling the truth. Every wrestler I know will be laughing when they see the scene."

Stallone then turned to his old friend, Mickey Rourke, to play the small but pivotal role of Tool, the weary former Expendable who now runs the business of brokering clandestine missions out of his storefront tattoo shop.

The shop serves as the de facto headquarters for the guys, a place where souls are bared, truths are told and where a sense of camaraderie and belonging prevails.

It is also where the team begins to unravel after Barney decides to take a job the rest of the team sees as suicide. At first glance, Tool seems to have his life under control, but the reality is his life has been a segue way into disappointment.

In a ‘moment of truth’ scene with Barney, it is Tool who ignites a spark of humanity Barney forgot he had. "I’m suffering the pangs of hell," says Stallone, "I’ve basically lost my humanity."

Mickey Rourke, who reintroduced himself to the world in 2008 with a tour de force turn in The Wrestler, and Stallone go back a long way. "I’m a little older than him, but we sort of grew up in the business together," explains Stallone. "We’ve had our ups and downs, know the ins and outs of our lives.

He’s a very sensitive and unique guy, and I thought if he could bring some of that uniqueness to the character of Tool, it would be off the charts."

The Expendables was finally taking shape. As an actor, Stallone knew he had to allow the cast to bring their individuality to each role. As a director, he also understood the importance of tailoring ideas to maximize the skills and talents of each individual actor. "Each of them were stars in their own right," explains Stallone, "and needed to be served equally."

"But," he continues, "I have to say they all came to the table and put their egos aside. Everyone was on board to give 100% to the role. They made my job easy."

Lundgren applauds Stallone for his willingness to collaborate. "When I got the script Gunnar was a totally different guy," recalls Lundgren. "He didn’t figure as much into the story. After meeting with Sly a couple of times, we came up with other ideas.

"Personally I’m a shy person, I stay in the background and let everybody else run around so Sly wrote that into the character."

The last piece of the puzzle was filling the role of Sandra, the woman Barney and Christmas leave in jeopardy in Vilena when their reconnaissance mission turns bad. Sandra, who unknowingly becomes the catalyst for Barney’s change of heart had to be tough, intelligent, beautiful and able to hold her own in a film dominated by testosterone.

Brazilian actress, Giselle Itie (pronounced Eet she), who had studied boxing and jiu jitsu but had never done an action film, won the role after a worldwide casting call.

For the all-important supporting roles, Stallone called on the versatility of actor Eric Roberts for rogue ex-CIA agent Monroe, a man caught up in a trap of his own design. Roberts brings a steely coldness to the soulless Monroe. For the role of henchman and Monroe sidekick, Paine, Stallone brought in former pro wrestler Steve Austin.

"When I watched Sly direct Eric Roberts", remember Austin, "he knows exactly what he’s looking for, knows exactly what he wants his actors to do, how he wants them to do it, and he tells them. He’s very clear in his direction and vision."

The Expendables is out now.

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