John Wick has cast sharp relief on the Expendables franchise. Although both franchises feature ensembles packed with action stars, John Wick is more successful. Both critically and commercially, the John Wick movies shine where Expendables haven't due to a variety of factors.

The success of the John Wick movies casts a previous multi-million-dollar franchise in a harsh light. The Wick franchise kicked off in 2014 when Keanu Reeves debuted in the title role of the movie of the same name directed by Chad Stahelski. Stahelski returned to helm three feature-length sequels in the franchise, which has also spawned the spinoff Peacock streaming show The Continental and the upcoming movie Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas as a character originally played by Unity Phelan in the third installment of the main branch of the franchise.

So far, the John Wick movies have pulled off an unusual feat for any movie franchise by having...