Fans of the successful movie franchise "The Expendables" may end up saying goodbye to a well-loved main character in the fourth installment set to hit the cinemas sometime next year.

Rumors are rife that Sylvester Stallone, who plays Barney Ross, will be saying goodbye to his character to focus on the sequel of "Creed." These came after co-star Terry Crews told in a recent interview that his pal and mentor would likely reconsider doing "The Expendables 4" in favor of the sport drama movie, where his performance merited several awards. Crossmap reports that Stallone won Best Supporting Actor for his role as Rocky Balboa in both the Golden Globes and the Critics' Choice Award. Currently, his name is part of the roster of nominees in the Academy Awards.

"I'm just thinking he's got options now. As well he should. He should think about what his next move is going to be, what he's going to do. 'Creed' was amazing, amazing. It showed his depth and he's a lot deeper than people always give him credit for," Crews said.

The actor, who plays Hale Caesar, has been part of the original movie in 2010. He and Stallone worked in all three films. When asked if he would also back out of the fourth movie if ever Stallone would, Crews was a bit vague with his answer, stating "He's literally my dad in the business. If Sly's like, 'I'm out of this thing,' I don't see myself doing it."

Meanwhile, rumors on who the next big bad would be in "The Expendables 4" point out to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

According to Day Herald, the former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) fighter will be hunting down all members of the group until no one is left. Of late, Johnson has been playing the protagonist in most of his movies. Becoming a villain once more will be an interesting role he might be considering to do.

"The Expendables 4" is expected to be shown in theaters in 2017.