Sylvester Stallone won't be in Creed III, with his absence causing many to speculate that Rocky Balboa may die offscreen, mirroring the biggest death in Rocky III. While he isn't acting in the film, Sylvester Stallone's producer role means he is still involved, hinting that there may be a story reason that explains Rocky's absence. Rocky's death in Creed III would be tragic, but its parallels with Rocky III would actually make both films even better.
In the Creed films, Rocky has left the ring and has taken over as the trainer for Adonis Creed, meaning that his death would have a profound impact on the titular character in Creed III. Understandably, this story beat brings to mind the death of Rocky's trainer, Mickey, in Rocky III, arguably one of the biggest deaths in the entire Rocky franchise. Mickey's death is a major motivator for Balboa in Rocky III, as Rocky's opponent Clubber Lang was the one behind the trainer's tragic killing. Now that Rocky has taken over the position Mickey held in the original films, his Creed III death would perfectly mirror the Rocky III death of his former trainer, making Adonis' story even more emotional.
Rocky's Death Could Make Creed III Better (If It's Done Right)
While Rocky's death may make it seem like Creed III is simply copying Rocky III, it could actually make Creed III even better if it's done right. Rocky Balboa has been the face of the Rocky franchise since its inception, with viewers connecting to the Italian Stallion for over 45 years. Rocky Balboa's death in Creed III would be an even bigger emotional gut punch than Mickey's death was, adding another tragic layer to the upcoming film's story. Depending on how Rocky is killed, the storyline has the potential to be handled even better than Rocky III handled Mickey's death. Mickey's death in Rocky III is a little convoluted, with him dying due to a heart attack that is caused by him accidentally being shoved during a locker room brawl with Clubber Lang. Rocky's anger at Clubber has always seemed a little misplaced, as (while Clubber is not a great person), he didn't intentionally kill Mickey. How Rocky dies is still up in the air, whether it be him getting killed or dying due to his cancer coming back, but Creed III has the chance to do the death storyline even better than Rocky III.
Killing off Rocky would also free the Creed reboot franchise from the shackles of the Rocky movies, as it would finally be completely focused on entirely original characters. While Creed and Creed II are great, they have been criticized for treading a little too closely to the story of the original Rocky films. Rocky's death would remove the last strand of the original movies from the spin-off series, allowing Creed III and its sequels to tell stories without being influenced by those of the original series.
Why Isn't Sylvester Stallone's Rocky In Creed 3?
Sylvester Stallone has been in every Rocky movie up until now, making his Creed III absence incredibly surprising. However, Rocky not appearing in the film isn't due to scheduling conflicts or budget constraints. Actually, Stallone explained why he isn't in Creed III, saying "[I] bowed out of ['Creed 3']. I just didn't know if there was any part for me. But I hear it's really interesting. It takes it in a different direction." It seems that Sylvester Stallone's departure from the series actually has to do with the story of Creed III, supporting theories about Rocky Balboa's death even further.
