The Expendables 4 drops explosive first trailer with the return of Sylvester Stallone

Lionsgate has dropped the action-packed trailer for The Expendables 4, which heralds the return of Sylvester Stallone.

The hotly-anticipated franchise is making a return, with Scott Waugh in the driver’s seat for the first time.

You can watch the first teaser trailer for Expend4bles below:

Almost a decade after the third movie, Jason Statham, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren and Stallone return to kick off the fourth instalment.

The quartet are back in business and they’re being joined by the likes of Megan Fox and Power’s Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson for a brand-new mission.

Also joining The Expendables cast are Furious 7 duo Tony Jaa and Levy Train, and the former World’s Strongest Man, Eddie Hall.

The lead villain of the movie will be played by Iko Uwais, while Andy Garcia will step into the role of a CIA agent.

The synopsis for the upcoming action film reads: “Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on and the skills to use them, The Expendables are the world’s last line of defence and the team that gets called when all other options are off the table.

Lionsgate Films

"But new team members with new styles and tactics are going to give 'new blood' a whole new meaning.”

Waugh is taking over from Patrick Hughes, who directed the third Expendables movie back in 2014.

Statham has a producer credit on Expendables 4, along with Kevin King Templeton, Les Weldon, Yariv Lerner, Jefferey Greenstein and Jonathan Yunger.

Unfortunately, the forthcoming film has been confirmed to be the final outing for Stallone as Barney Ross.

The 76-year-old previously stated in an on-set video: “It's time to be moving on. This will be my last day, so I'm enjoying it but it's always bittersweet, you know.

"When something you've been so attached to, I guess it's been about 12 years, and I'm ready to pass the baton on to Jason and his capable hands.”

Following the trailer drop, fans are having their say across social media.

Lionsgate Films

After watching, one Twitter user wrote: “Iko Uwais and his work in The Raid movies with martial arts is simply incredible and seeing him in this movie is enough for a ticket purchase.”

Another said: “These are fun guilty pleasure movies, but I'll watch this one just for Iko.”

A third - who doesn't seem too excited about the forthcoming release - said: “It's so weird that The Expendables movies are made up of guys who defined movie pop culture in the 80s/90s, but absolutely nothing iconic or memorable happens in these films. Nobody quotes them, nobody references them.”