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Sylvester Stallone Taps Out Of Creed 3

The boxer who started it all will not appear in the upcoming Creed film.

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Sylvester Stallone fought tooth and nail to make the original Rocky film happen and has shepherded the series since. For the upcoming Creed III, though, Stallone will not reprise his role as Rocky Balboa, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

News broke via Stallone himself, who replied to a comment on his official Instagram. Asked whether there was a chance he would appear in Creed III, Stallone replied, "It will be done but I won't be in it. Keep punching." Stallone's rep confirmed to THR that he would not be appearing in the film. No indication was given whether this was a mutual decision or a whether one party or the other made the call.

This may be a bit of a surprise to fans of the series. Stallone appeared in six Rocky films and the first two critically-acclaimed Creed films. The ending of Creed II, though, had Rocky stepping out of the limelight and reconnecting with family. In that way, it makes sense that Stallone would not appear in Creed III.

Despite all that, Stallone isn't done with Rocky by any means. The actor announced on Monday that he'd completed his re-cut of Rocky IV, the film that laid the groundwork for Creed and Creed II. In the film, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) dies following his fight with Russian boxer Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), causing Rocky to face off against Drago for revenge on his home turf in Russia.

Apollo Creed is, of course, the father of Creed protagonist Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan). Creed re-introduced Balboa as the trainer for Adonis. In Creed II, Adonis faces off against Ivan's son, Viktor Drago.

The re-cut film will cut out Paulie's robot entirely, Stallone said in another Instagram reply last year, along with other changes to the Stallone-directed picture.

Creed III, meanwhile, marks the directorial debut for star Michael B. Jordan, and is currently set to release around Thanksgiving 2022.

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ZmanBarzel

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ZmanBarzel

Wasn't this already known? I remember him — or it might've been the Creed marketing arm — posting a short Instagram video from the wrap party where he said he was done with the character and what a ride it had been over the decades.

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ToadstoolPeach

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ToadstoolPeach

"Threw in the towel" would've been more apt.

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deactivated-60805f69c9188

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Edited By deactivated-60805f69c9188

I mean, on one hand I am bummed to not see Rocky Balboa one last time, but on the other hand, what else could Rocky Balboa possibly add to this series?

The first Creed you had the connection between Adonis, Apollo and Rocky. Rocky fought Apollo twice and they went from rivals to the best of friends. Obviously it would be natural for Rocky to train Adonis due to that connection with Apollo.

Creed II you had the connection between Adonis, Apollo, Rocky and Ivan Drago. Ivan Drago kills Apollo Creed (Rocky’s friend), Rocky avenges his friend’s honor by beating the shit out of Drago in Rocky IV. Drago’s son challenges Adonis Creed, and it sets in this whole revenge storyline for Adonis, plus Rocky had fought a Drago before so there’s that need to have Rocky around.

Apollo Creed and Ivan Drago are the two biggest villains of the Rocky Series and that’s two of the hardest fought opponents Rocky was ever in the ring with, and also have the strongest connections with the Creed’s

Adonis got to live up to the Creed name and became a great fighter with Rocky’s training by the end of the first Creed movie, and also got vengeance and made his peace with his father dying in the ring by the end of Creed II

There’s really no other purpose to have Rocky around at this point. It’ll be interesting to see Adonis Creed move on without him and make his own way.

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lonewolf1044

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Edited By lonewolf1044

Sorry there is no Creed w/o Stallone as there is no Rocky without him, he started it so he shall end it.

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HG10

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HG10

They'll probably just write him out as dying finally. He outlived all of his friends, had cancer, I mean--it was basically bound to happen if they kept going.

Only thing is I kinda expected him to die during a movie, not off screen like that.

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Blk_Mage_Ctype

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Edited By Blk_Mage_Ctype

"Sylvester Stallone Taps Out Of Creed 3 -- The boxer who started it all will not appear in the upcoming Creed film."

There are no TAP OUTS in BOXING, Gamespot...

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