Sylvester Stallone’s iconic character Rocky Balboa was almost written off permanently in the 2015 movie Creed, according to Stallone himself. The actor disclosed that director Ryan Coogler initially wanted Rocky to die from Lou Gehrig’s disease, but Stallone pushed back, preserving the character’s life for the franchise’s future.
After decades of portraying the determined boxer Rocky Balboa, Stallone appeared to step away from the role following Rocky V in 1990. However, he returned in 2006’s Rocky Balboa, rekindling the story. The Rocky universe expanded further in 2015 when Creed shifted focus to Adonis Johnson, the son of Rocky’s former rival and friend Apollo Creed, played by Michael B. Jordan. Stallone’s Rocky made a comeback as a mentor figure, but the character’s fate nearly took a tragic turn.
The Near End of Rocky Balboa’s Storyline in Creed
In the lead-up to Creed’s release, Stallone revealed that Coogler was insistent on having Rocky die as part of the story, a decision he resisted for years. The original screenplay had Rocky battling Lou Gehrig’s disease, a plotline that made Stallone uneasy because of its finality and impact on fans. He explained the emotional difficulty of that concept during an interview with GQ:
“I was never comfortable. I dodged that bullet for two years, three years. And Ryan Coogler was very persistent, kept pushing it. And we had the same agent, but I didn’t want to do it because the way he had written it, Rocky dies. He gets Lou Gehrig’s disease. And I said, I have a big thing about characters like that dying. I’d much rather them get on a train going somewhere, and you never see them again. But to die, it will just bum the audience out completely.” – Sylvester Stallone, Actor
Stallone’s resistance meant the script was revised to keep Rocky alive, allowing the character to continue influencing the story without succumbing to illness. The role also presented a unique challenge for Stallone because Rocky was no longer physically fighting but instead involved in intense dramatic acting. He reflected on this in the same interview:
“So once we got over that, I said, okay, we’ll give it a shot. And it was a lot of dramatic acting in that because I couldn’t use my body. I wasn’t fighting. So that was a good challenge and it turned out pretty well.” – Sylvester Stallone, Actor
Beyond the Ring: Stallone’s Transition from Franchise Films to Television
In recent years, Sylvester Stallone has been gradually closing chapters on many of the characters that defined his career. After Creed II in 2018, Stallone stepped back from the continuation of the Creed story. He similarly concluded his portrayal of John Rambo with 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood and ceded leading roles in The Expendables series, passing the torch to actors like Jason Statham.
Despite these endings, Stallone has successfully pivoted to television, starring in the Taylor Sheridan-created series Tulsa King. Now airing its third season on Paramount+, the show features Stallone as Dwight “The General” Manfredi, a former Mafia boss released after 25 years in prison who aims to rebuild his criminal empire. Tulsa King has been well-received by streaming audiences, with a fourth season already approved, indicating Stallone’s ongoing relevance and appeal in entertainment beyond his past film franchises.
What Lies Ahead for Rocky Balboa and the Creed Franchise
Though the future of Rocky Balboa on screen remains uncertain, plans for Creed 4 are reportedly underway. However, the franchise appears to be moving towards focusing more on the new generation of fighters rather than Rocky himself. With Stallone’s character preserved from death in Creed, there remains the opportunity for his return in a limited capacity, keeping alive the possibility that Rocky Balboa could still have appearances in the evolving storyline.
The continuation of Creed and the enduring legacy of Rocky Balboa demonstrate how careful character decisions impact not only the narrative but also the engagement of longtime fans. Stallone’s steadfast refusal to allow Rocky to die underscores his dedication to protecting the character’s spirit, enabling the story to remain open-ended and emotionally resonant.
