“Creed 3” too dark? Sylvester Stallone Announces He’s Giving Up “Rocky” Spin-Off

When Creed III hits theaters on March 2, 2023, at most you’ll see Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa in photos. There is no appearance of the star. Stallone has previously stated that it was his decision not to continue acting in the film. The third installment in the “Creed” series, starring Michael B. Jordan, takes the franchise “in a new direction.” Not knowing where there was another part for him, he had remained rather vague until now. But now he made new suggestions and became more concrete.

» “Creed – Rocky’s Legacy” on Amazon*

In an interview with the he clarifies that he regrets that “Creed III” appears without him. Because everything could have ended differently. Yet Creed III Goes In “A Different Direction Than I Would Have Run It” he makes it clear that there were definitely disagreements about the script. The film now follows the philosophy of Michael B. Jordan, the lead actor and now director for the first time, and Irwin Winkler, the producer of the “Rocky” series, with whom Stallone has been on bad terms for some time.

Stallone doesn’t want to take his heroes to such a dark place

But what’s the other direction Jordan and Winkler are going now that Stallone doesn’t like? The superstar also loses a few words about this:

“I’m more of an emotional person. I like it when my heroes are knocked down, but I don’t want them to be led into such a dark place. I think people have enough darkness.”

Stallone suggests that “Creed 3” is way too dark for him. His “Rocky” films are constructive works. The hero he embodies stumbles, falls, or is knocked out. But he always picks himself up off the ground. In the end, the movies are always optimistic and have a kind of happy ending. Is that missing in “Creed 3”? According to Stallone, that’s to be expected.

Stallone’s time as Rocky may be gone forever

It’s currently pretty unlikely we’ll see Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa again. According to our information, his character in the movie plot of “Creed 3” is not dead, but has only retired to private life and family, so that a return in further films is possible. But you shouldn’t count on that. Stallone has previously expressed his bitterness at not owning any rights to the franchise he createdpublicly attacked producer Irwin Winkler and his children with an abusive tone.

Also in the new interview with the bitterness always comes through when he talks about “Rocky”. Unfortunately, he will never get some of the rights to his character, he laments. Everyone is executive producer of the Creed series except him.

» “Creed II: Rocky’s Legacy” on Amazon*

There was even an offer that he would make another proper “Rocky” movie. He would have been willing in exchange for some rights to what would become “Rocky 7”, but was turned down. Stallone also sparked another dig at Irwin Winkler when he said, “You can’t make another ‘Rocky’ movie just because you want your kids to have a job.”

In the current interview, he also briefly looks back at the summer when the announcement of a “Drago” spin-off made the rounds and Stallone also attacked his colleague Dolph Lundgren. He has now spoken to him and no longer blames him for not knowing the film was being planned without Stallone’s permission: “It’s the classic case of them trying to pick the ‘Rocky’ series without even asking me to be a part of it.”he says now about the project, which will probably never happen again.

So we probably won’t see Stallone as Rocky again unless there’s a huge change of heart by the rights holder Irwin Winkler. On the other hand, he will slip back into his other cult role again. In a sixth “Rambo” adventure, he must pass the baton to a younger character. He’s willing to do that, even though he admits that he personally would have preferred a different story for another project about John Rambo: