With the success of Creed, both Sylvester Stallone and the Rocky franchise have returned to a place of success and critical acclaim. It’s no surprise that they’re looking at the possibility of following it up with another movie. However, while we might be seeing more of Adonis Creed in the future, it’s possible that we’ve seen the last of Rocky Balboa. Stallone now says that Creed was a perfect place to say goodbye to the 40-year-old character.
Sylvester Stallone was honored this week at the Santa Barbara film festival with the Montecito Award, which was presented by his longtime Rocky co-star Carl Weathers. According to Variety, he was asked about the possibility of another sequel but his response looks to make that very unlikely, as Stallone thinks the character's story may have reached the end.
I really have mixed feelings about this, seriously. I feel like Rocky, at the end of this movie on the steps, with the help of a young man, and he looks out and says, ‘From here, you can see your whole life’ — it sort of summarizes the whole thing. I don’t know how much further you can push Rocky.
Sylvester Stallone appears to have had a change of heart fairly recently. Only a few months ago the actor was saying he’d like to continue making Rocky films until the character dropped dead. Now he seems to be much more conflicted about it. It’s not clear what caused the shift. It’s possible that Creed was even better received than he expected. Stallone won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor, and has also been nominated for the Academy Award. It’s certainly best to go out on top, and as good as a follow-up to Creed might be, it’s not likely to do as well as this one has done.
We’d certainly agree that with the way Creed ended, Rocky Balboa is in a good place. If they decide to let the man retire, that’s ok. The character has really come full circle. There isn’t much left for him to accomplish. Another Creed movie certainly doesn’t require Rocky’s presence, anyway. In all honesty, if they are looking at the franchise potential for Michael B. Jordan and Creed, and of course they are, this is Hollywood, the character will need to step out on his own at some point, and the sooner the better.
Is it time to say goodbye to Rocky Balboa, or do you think the character still has some fight left in him? Let us know what you think in the comments.
