'Expendables 2' Star Dolph Lundgren on Why He Returned for the Sequel (Video)

Action star Dolph Lundgren returns to play assassin Gunnar Jensen in Expendables 2, a character he says he loves to play.

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“He’s kind of a rock n’ roller and a little bit crazy,” Lundgren tells The Hollywood Reporter. “He’s trying to fit in but he has a lot of problems, so it’s fun to play him.”

Lundgren said he returned for the sequel because of his love for this character and how much fun he has working with the all-star cast.

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The action sequel sees many of the stars of the first film returning, including Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, Randy Couture and Terry Crews. New stars to make appearances in the film include Chuck Norris and Liam Hemsworth.

The film sees the group of mercenaries taking on a revenge mission against Jean Vilain (Jean-Claude Van Damme), who killed one of their own and has plans to create a lethal weapon.

When it comes to the group dynamic among the stars, Lundgren was quick to point out that Stallone, who directed the first installment and wrote the screenplay for both films, is the man in charge.

“Sly is the leader,” he says. “He wrote the script, he’s the producer, so you have to listen to him all the time, of course. Or else you’re not very smart.”

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Lundgren, who has a degree in chemical engineering and is a black belt, said there aren’t any divas in the group, and that every one “towed the line.”

“All of these guys are team players. They’ve been on team sports, they’ve been athletes,” he says. “You learn in sports, the first thing is keep your mouth shut and do the job or you’re going to have to pay later.”

The action film focuses on old-school techniques, using more in-camera effects than CGI. When THR asked about his opinions on CGI, Lundgren -- whose career credits include Rocky IV, Masters of the Universe and The Punisher -- said it’s a great tool when used sparingly.

“If you use too much of that, it can date the picture,” he says. “Sometimes you can see a five-year-old movie full of CGI and it looks fake.”

Watch THR’s interview with Lundgren above.

Expendables 2 opens in theaters Aug. 17.

Email: Rebecca.ford@thr.com; Twitter: @Beccamford
Video by Spencer Byam-Taylor