Patrick Hughes, director of the third instalment of The Expendables franchise has allegedly claimed that the characters of Trench Mauser (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Ying Yang (Jet Li) are in a gay relationship.
In an interview with Grantland, Hughes was asked about a scene towards to end of the most recent movie, in which Schwarzenegger’s character is seen cuddling up to Li’s and when told to get a room, replying “We don’t need a room!” When asked whether this scene was implying that the two characters were romantically involved, Hughes replied “I believe so.”
The Expendables is a series of action movies marketed as a group of “older” action stars, mostly associated with 80’s action flicks, getting together to reclaim their glory by fighting global threats. So in such a macho, testosterone-filled series, it would not be surprising for us to make jokes about the homoerotic aura created by their dynamic. So to have such a progressive, modern attitude to sexuality turns it on its head and add another layer of depth to a franchise already going against expectation.
Expendables 3 in currently in cinemas across the UK.
