Earlier in the week, we learned from co-star Jason Statham that The Expendables 2 is set to begin filming in Bulgaria in a couple of weeks. At that time, he confirmed reports that both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis would take on substantial roles in the pic but stopped short of confirming other rumored names such as Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, John Travolta and Nicolas Cage. Tonight, some of those rumors can be put to rest as Sly Stallone has confirmed that both Norris and Van Damme will be in the film.

For a little more, including two other A-list names that may be joining the fun, hit the jump. The Expendables 2 is set to hit theaters on August 17th, 2012.

Stallone confirmed that both Norris and Van Damme have joined The Expendables 2 in an interview with EW. While in-depth details regarding their roles are still underwraps, Stallone did confirm that:

“We’ll have a big showdown between me and Van Damme, which has been anticipated for a long time, so it should be a good one.”

I have to be honest, the opportunity to watch Stallone and Van Damme go head-to-head is probably too good for me to pass up. In fact, it’s going to take negative reviews that would make Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star blush for me to stay away from The Expendables 2. But wait, there’s potentially more. Later in the interview, the star also mentioned that the pic may be landing two other previously rumored names: Nicolas Cage and John Travolta, saying:

“We’ve got Chuck Norris and I think Nic Cage. We’re trying to work out different scenarios. I like using people that had a moment and then maybe have fallen on some hard times and give them another shot…[As for Travolta’s inclusion] It’s possible. The one thing I’ve learned is what is a fact on Monday is a complete fallacy on Tuesday. A lot of it is scheduling. It’s not financial. It’s just that Bulgaria is definitely a jaunt. It’s a commitment, you know what I mean? Especially in the dead of winter.”

Ultimately, it’s probably true that Stallone’s comments regarding Cage and Travolta’s potential inclusion doesn’t really change things much. They were rumored before and now they’re rumored plus, perhaps? Regardless, as I stated above, Norris and especially Van Damme’s casting makes The Expendables 2 a must see for me.