It would be safe to say that the Hollywood action hero is a dying breed. In the 1980's, there were plenty of larger-than-life musclebound actors that consistently cranked out a series of repetitive punch-and-shoot-em-ups; Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal and Dolph Lundgren to name but a few. By the following decade, audiences had grown tired of these one-dimensional characters and sought out a new breed of action hero that was more down-to-earth and relatable, a shift that saw the likes of Bruce Willis, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford and Keanu Reeves become the genre's biggest names. These days, most Hollywood blockbusters are marketed more on built-in appeal and brand recognition rather than whose name appears above the title on the poster. The previous heavyweights of the action genre have now been reduced to parodies of themselves, clinging on to former glories while the latest comic book adaptation obliterates the competition at the box office. It speaks volumes about the current shortage of action heroes when 62 year-old Liam Neeson's career renaissance has positioned him as one of the genre's most bankable names, with very few legitimate pretenders to his place at the top. With that in mind, this article will take a look at ten action stars who have failed to meet their potential. The list includes names that were ill-equipped to convince in the role of action hero, some that are waiting on their big break, others that have had plenty of opportunities and failed every time, and even a few of the genre's biggest names that have so far disappointed outside of their usual routine.
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