Sylvester Stallone explains his decision not to return as Rocky Balboa in Creed III. Stallone originated the Rocky franchise back in 1976 with the film of the same name. Written by and starring Stallone, Rocky introduced the titular hard-nosed club fighter from the City of Brotherly Love who gets a once-in-a-lifetime shot at the world heavyweight championship held by Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). With a budget of under $1 million, Rocky was a massive sleeper hit at the box office and spawned multiple sequels and a boxing franchise that is still going strong to this day.
Currently scheduled to be released on November 23, 2022, Creed III is the ninth overall film in the Rocky saga and the third in the spinoff series that started in 2015 centered on Adonis Creed, the son of Rocky's deceased mentor and former rival, Apollo. Michael B. Jordan returns in the titular role in addition to making his directorial debut. Loki and Lovecraft Country star Jonathan Majors has joined the cast as Anderson Dame, the latest boxing adversary to go up against Adonis. Over one year ago, Stallone made the surprise announcement that he would not be returning as Rocky in Creed III, marking the first time in the franchise's history he won't appear.
Now, Stallone is opening up about his decision not to appear in Creed III. In an interview with Metro UK, the Rocky star says it was his own decision to "bow out" of the film, as he wasn't sure there was a place for his character in Creed III which takes the franchise "in a different direction." Read Stallone's full comment on his departure from the franchise below:
Well it’s different because actually I bowed out of that one, I just didn’t know if there was any part for me. It takes it in a different direction. I wish them well and keep punching!
Even though Stallone won't be starring as Rocky in Creed III, he remains involved in the franchise as a producer and is privy to the sequel's script written by Zach Baylin and Keenan Coogler. Stallone shared his thoughts on Creed III's story which he says is "really interesting" and a significant departure for the series. With virtually no plot details available, it's unclear how exactly the threequel will takes the series in a different direction. But for starters, Adonis will have to seek mentorship elsewhere without Rocky around, who acted as his trainer for the first two Creed films.
In addition to Jordan, Creed III will see the returns of Tessa Thompson as Bianca Taylor, Phylicia Rashad as Mary Anne Creed, and Florian Munteanu as Viktor Drago. While Rocky could have likely been written into Creed III if Stallone desired, it seems, based on his recent comments, that he was ready to depart the franchise and fully pass the baton on to Jordan as lead star and director. The 75-year-old actor also seems interested in pursing other roles, such as the mafia boss Dwight Manfredi in the Paramount+ series Tulsa King which is currently in production.
Source: Metro UK
