Have you noticed that with each new Creed film, we see less and less of Sylvester Stallone? With the third chapter of the saga about to come out March 3, there will be a notable absence in the story of Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) and his journey to become the greatest fighter of all time and carry on the Creed boxing legacy. Rocky Balboa, the man who started it all, will not be a part of the cast for the latest entry into the Rocky Cinematic Universe, and there's a story behind why he won't be reprising the character.
After being featured prominently in the original film as Adonis' trainer and inspiration, Sylvester Stallone's screen time was slightly reduced in the second film in 2018. The third installment will omit Rocky Balboa completely. Something doesn't feel right about a film within the Rocky world that doesn't include the man himself. So, why is it that the southpaw from Philly won't be appearing in Creed III?
Sylvester Stallone Is Ticked Off
It has been known for a while that Sylvester Stallone would not be appearing in the ninth movie of the franchise, but the reason behind it is a little murkier and has a couple of different facets to it. In a piece for Men's Health, Stallone stated that he will no longer be involved in the Rocky films moving forward as long as one-time friend and producer of the first film, Irwin Winkler, is involved in the project. The hometown boy who went from rags to riches as the pride of the City of Brotherly Love has made it pretty clear saying, "You can't make peace with someone who’s been so, so nefarious, in my opinion." So what is it exactly that the two are beefing over?
It all goes back to 1976 when Stallone was barely scraping by financially and sold the rights to Rocky to Winkler out of desperation for what is now mere peanuts compared to the revenue the nine Rocky films have garnered at the box office and other licensing rights. And now that it's decidedly the most successful sports franchise in the history of film, Stallone doesn't see a dime from the franchise outside what he is being paid to appear in the movies that were inspired by Stallone himself. He wrote the screenplay for Rocky and created the gravy train that he believes Irwin is riding all the way to the bank. It doesn't look like he’s wrong, either.
Sylvester Stallone's Beef With Irwin Winkler
Stallone has also expressed his displeasure with the direction Winkler wants to take the franchise. Winkler has agreed to give Dolph Lundgren, the vicious Russian fighter who killed Apollo Creed and lost to Rocky in Rocky IV, a deal that will have Lundgren reprise his role as Ivan Drago in spinoff in the near future. Stallone continued his slander of his former producer labeling him a "parasite" and saying that he is, "picking clean the bones of another wonderful character I created." Sounds more like a vulture, but we get the point. It's hard to believe that the two men that teamed up to create one of film's most iconic figures have grown apart to the point that Stallone would say such things and refuse to work with Winkler.
When you consider that the actor has apparently been willing to appear in the eight films that followed the original and leading up to Creed III, it is a little odd that Stallone has chosen now to draw a line in the sand. It's not like Stallone is hurting for cash these days as his net worth as of 2022 was a cool $400 million. So what's the real issue at play here?
Stallone Cares About His Legacy
So even though Stallone says that it's not about the millions of dollars he's lost over the past 47 years, it's hard to believe that it doesn't stick in his craw that he could have been approaching billionaire status with all that additional revenue. Nevertheless, the star is steadfast about it being about more than just the cash and more about what he'll have left behind when he's gone, stating, "I wrote it. I thought it would be nice to say, 'Here’s the gesture darling here. Beautiful children, beautiful wife. When I’m long gone, this is you. This is what I made for you."
Again, it's a hard point to argue that not having his family and estate acquiring the rights to the franchise for generations to come isn't a very hard pill to swallow. He's already got generational wealth that will be handed down to all the future Stallones for at least the next one hundred years, but we get it that he's pissed off about not being able to say that Rocky is his to do with as he pleases and not watch the likes of Irwin Winkler determine the future legacy of his own creation.
This Drama Has Nothing to do With Michael B. Jordan
Meanwhile, the dispute between the former associates has brought with it more questions about what is the cause for Stallone not appearing in this Creed film or any other Rocky-related project. Some have wondered if Stallone has had some kind of disagreement with the new star of the franchise, Michael B. Jordan, who has been nothing short of phenomenal as the young Adonis Creed, the son of Rocky's best friend in the third and fourth installments, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers).
Well, rest assured, it has nothing to do with Jordan, who has shined in the role and should be praised for breathing new life into a franchise that was starting to lose momentum as Rocky got older and further away from his days as a fighter. Stallone has apparently made it clear that he is more than willing to come back in some capacity with Jordan as long as Winkler has nothing to do with it. He should be, as the series could have gone completely dormant if not for the compelling Creed spinoff.
Sylvester Stallone Is Staying Busy
Although he's not appearing in the Creed films anymore, Stallone is still a very busy man. He has signed on with showrunner Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone, 1923) in his latest Paramount+ offering, Tulsa King, in which he plays the lead role, a former New York mob who lands in Oklahoma after a 25-year stint in prison. The 76-year-old actor still has a presence on screen regardless of whether it's big or small. Tulsa King is drawing critical and audience praise showing that Stallone hasn't lost a step. Now if we could somehow arrange to get him and Winkler inside the ropes for a winner-take-all grudge match. That would be a prize fight worth seeing, but Winkler would probably just right him out of the story beforehand.