Is Rocky dead in Creed 3? Sylvester Stallone's absence explained
The Italian Stallion is absent from a film for the first time in the franchise's history.
Up until now, all the films in the Rocky franchise have had a few things in common: inspiring training montages, a brutal climactic fight that sees an underdog triumph against the odds, and of course the presence of Sylvester Stallone.
But in the newly released Creed III, Stallone is absent for the first time. Although Rocky Balboa had already gone from the main character to supporting player in the previous two Creed films, this time around he's not seen at all – indeed he's hardly even mentioned by name.
So what are the reasons for Stallone's absence? And has the character been killed off? Read on for everything you need to know.
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Is Rocky dead in Creed III?
No. The current whereabouts of Rocky Balboa are never fully addressed in Creed III, but he certainly doesn't seem to have been killed off. He is briefly mentioned in conversation when Adonis references his iconic showdown with his father, Apollo Creed, but there is nothing in this exchange to suggest that the Italian Stallion is no longer alive.
A more likely in-movie explanation for his absence concerns the fact that, unlike every previous film in the franchise, the bulk of the narrative unfolds in Los Angeles rather than Rocky's home city of Philadelphia, where he is presumably enjoying his retirement or continuing to manage his Italian restaurant Adrian's.
Of course, you'd imagine that he would still take the trip to LA to watch his former protégé make his high-profile return to the ring to take on Dame Anderson, but there are any number of reasons he might not have been able to make it, and this allows the film to be more focused on the dynamic between Rocky and Dame.
Sylvester Stallone's absence explained
Stallone first announced back in April 2021 that he would not be taking part in the film – revealing the news in a comment on Instagram – and has since gone on record to state that he will not be appearing in any further films where long-time collaborator Irwin Winkler is attached as producer.
Stallone has made no secret of his anger at Winkler – who owns all the rights to the character – and it appears that this ongoing feud will prevent him from reprising the role any time soon.
"They wanted another Rocky. And I was willing to do it. But I said, 'After 45 years, can we change the playing field a little bit? Level it out? Can’t I get a piece of what I created all these years ago?'," Stallone explained in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
Furthermore, Sly has also expressed disappointment with the direction the new film has taken.
"That’s a regretful situation because I know what it could have been," he said. "It was taken in a direction that is quite different than I would’ve taken it. It’s a different philosophy — Irwin Winkler’s and Michael B Jordan’s. I wish them well, but I’m much more of a sentimentalist.
"I like my heroes getting beat up, but I just don’t want them going into that dark space. I just feel people have enough darkness."
The good news for Stallone fans is that he does still have other plans concerning the character, and he is currently working on a prequel TV series focusing on Rocky's younger years which he will write and produce.
Creed III is currently showing in UK cinemas. Wondering what to watch on TV? Visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Film hub for more news and features.
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Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
