After not appearing in the third film in the series, fans desperately want to know whether Sylvester Stallone will appear in Creed 4. Stallone wrote and starred in the first Rocky movie, which was released in 1976 and ended up being his breakout role. The first Rocky movie received exceptional reviews, and even won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. After the success of the first film, five more Rocky movies were made, and each helped to turn Rocky Balboa into one of the most popular movie characters of all time.

After 2006’s Rocky Balboa chronicled the final boxing match for Stallone’s iconic character, it was not known if the franchise would continue. However, after nine years, Rocky returned in the first Creed movie. 2015’s Creed transferred the spotlight from Rocky to Adonis, the son of legendary boxer Apollo Creed. Even though he was no longer the main character, Stallone still played a very important role in the film, and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. However, after appearing in the first two Creed movies, Stallone did not star in Creed III.

Why Sylvester Stallone Was Not In Creed 3

Stallone Didn’t Like How Dark Creed 3 Was

After having a significant role in the first two Creed movies, Stallone decided not to partake in Creed III. This is not necessarily surprising, since at the end of Creed II, it seems like Adonis is now ready and mature enough to move forward without Rocky’s help. However, behind the scenes, there’s actually a much more dramatic reason as to why Stallone decided not to appear in Creed III. As reported by Variety, Stallone did not agree with Creed III’s creative direction.

Creed III was written by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin, and is based on a story that they conceived with Ryan Coogler, who earned much acclaim after directing the first Creed movie. Anyone who has seen Creed III knows that it gets quite dark at times, which is something that Stallone did not particularly like. Stallone has explained that he doesn’t like to see iconic action heroes go to dark places, like Adonis does in Creed III. Therefore, he would have taken the franchise in a different direction. A few months before the release of Creed III, he said:

It was taken in a direction that is quite different than I would’ve taken it. It’s a different philosophy — Irwin Winkler’s and Michael B. Jordan’s. I wish them well, but I’m much more of a sentimentalist. I like my heroes getting beat up, but I just don’t want them going into that dark space. I just feel people have enough darkness.

In the same report, it is also noted that Michael B. Jordan, who directed the third film, was interested in making a Creed movie that was all about Adonis. Since Creed III explores the relationship between Adonis and his childhood best friend, Damian, Rocky wouldn’t have really fit into the story in a natural way. Therefore, instead of focusing on the past, Jordan directed a movie that sets up the future of the franchise.

Sylvester Stallone Is Unlikely To Return In Creed 4

Stallone Has Been Feuding With A Rocky Producer For A Long Time

In addition to the fact that he didn’t agree with the direction of Creed III, Stallone has also been feuding with franchise producer Irvin Winkler for a long time. Before the release of the first Rocky movie, Stallone, who was a struggling actor at the time, sold the rights to Winkler, which is something that he now regrets. Stallone has obviously experienced a lot of success because of the Rocky franchise, but he has never owned any of its characters. Stallone and Winkler clearly do not have a good working relationship, and Stallone has even described the producer as “nefarious.“

For a long time, Stallone has wanted the rights to the Rocky franchise. However, Winkler has refused. Now that Winkler is now 93 years old, Stallone has stated that he would love some of the rights to the iconic Rocky franchise. Since it doesn’t seem like Winkler wants to give the rights to Stallone, it currently looks like they will pᴀss to his own children. Therefore, given their ongoing feud, it is not surprising that Stallone didn’t want to return for Creed III, even if it was hard for him to say goodbye to the character.

What Happened To Rocky The Last Time We Saw Him

Rocky Gets A Great Ending In Creed 2

Even though Rocky was only a supporting character in the first two Creed films, they give him a lot of character development. In the first Creed movie, Rocky reluctantly agrees to train Adonis and eventually forms a special bond with him, all while battling cancer. In Creed II, Rocky, now cancer-free, is forced to relive one of the most traumatic experiences of his life when Viktor Drago, the son of Ivan Drago, challenges Adonis to a boxing match. Since Ivan killed Apollo in a fight, Rocky is worried that Adonis will meet the same tragic fate.

However, at the end of Creed II, Adonis miraculously defeats Viktor Drago after a hard-fought boxing match. After the fight, Rocky walks away from the boxing ring, telling Adonis, “It’s your time.” This is why it’s not surprising that Rocky doesn’t appear in Creed III, since he seemingly taught Adonis everything he could. Furthermore, at the end of Creed II, Rocky visits his son in Vancouver and finally meets his grandson. Since Rocky has always had a tumultuous relationship with his son, this is a great ending for the character.

Why Rocky Balboa Doesn’t Have To Return In Creed 4

Creed 4 Can Further Develop Adonis & His Family

Since Rocky received such a good ending in Creed II, he doesn’t necessarily have to return in the upcoming Creed 4. Rocky is obviously an amazing character and the bond between him and Adonis is great, but I don’t think there’s anything more to do with the character. Despite not including Rocky, Creed III received exceptional reviews. In fact, Creed III has a higher score on Rotten Tomatoes than the second entry in the series. The success of Creed III proved that the franchise doesn’t need Stallone to continue.

Furthermore, the ending of Creed III teases that Adonis’ daughter could also fight as a boxer. Therefore, even though Stallone was part of several incredible Rocky movies, it is better for the franchise to focus on the future, rather than the past. Future Creed movies can further develop Adonis and his family, as well as the other supporting characters in the series. Therefore, while it is a shame that there is behind-the-scenes drama between Stallone and Winkler, I don’t think there’s any reason for Rocky to return in Creed 4.

Source: Variety