Sylvester Stallone won’t return as Rocky Balboa in Creed 3, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing for the popular boxing franchise. Rocky played a major role in the first film as the trainer of protagonist Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), and he retained a significant role in Creed II as well. However, given the turns Donnie’s story takes in Creed II, it makes sense that Rocky might not be as big a part of future films.
Creed II sees Donnie finally claim the World Heavyweight Champion title, and by the end of the film he defeats Viktor Drago, the son of the man who killed his father Apollo in the ring. The post-match celebration includes a small but significant passing-the-torch moment between Rocky and Donnie, with the older boxer removing himself from the ring as a signal that his time has passed. The end of the film also sees Rocky reunite with his estranged son Robert as well as meet his grandson for the first time, giving his arc a satisfying conclusion.
With Rocky’s story wrapped up so neatly at the end of Creed II and Michael B. Jordan himself taking on directorial duties for Creed 3, it makes sense that Stallone won’t be returning. In fact, it may be in the best interest of the story that he doesn’t. Rocky’s absence may allow for a more tightened focus on Donnie’s own story, without having to rely so heavily on the events of the Rocky films. That could give the franchise the freedom it needs to keep developing in new and interesting ways, while leaving the past in the past. Working with Adonis to defeat Drago's son was, in a way, giving Rocky another win against Viktor. It was a proper conclusion to Rocky's story as well as the core Rocky series.
Stallone has spoken previously about wanting Donnie to fight the son of Mr. T’s Clubber Lang if Creed 3 got made. It’s unclear if that same storyline will happen now that Stallone seems to be unconnected to the film, but there’s certainly still potential. The first Creed crafted a compelling story without having to rely on villains from previous movies, so it might also be for the best if Donnie battles someone new in the next entry, someone who want have ties to Rocky at all.
Though he won’t appear in Creed 3, Stallone has made it clear that Rocky won’t be gone from screens forever. He’s openly discussed plans for other Rocky spinoffs he’s developing, including a prequel series following young versions of the original film’s characters in the 1960s. Thanks to the success of the Creed films, the Rocky name is as strong as its been in a long time, and it should be exciting to see what new stories the franchise has to tell.
