For the first time in franchise history, there’s a Creed movie with no Rocky Balboa.
Creed III came out swinging in 2023—but diehard fans noticed something missing. Not one “Yo, Adrian.” Not one “Eye of the Tiger.” And Stallone? Nowhere to be found. Rocky’s name is mentioned just once in the entire film. Seriously—blink and you’ll miss it.
So why is Sylvester Stallone not in Creed 3? Let’s break it down.
Stallone Didn’t Quit – He Simply Wasn’t In the Script
There was no dramatic exit, no fight to stay in. The truth? Stallone just wasn’t part of the story.
The creators of Creed III—Michael B. Jordan and producers like Irwin Winkler—took the film in a new direction. One that simply didn’t include Rocky Balboa.
The direction of the film? Way off the Rocky path. Stallone said, “The producer, Winkler and I think Michael B. Jordan, they decided to go to the direction that is quite radically different than Rocky films. It deals on something that’s, I don’t know, I just find it not relatable and that’s why I bowed out.”
He wasn’t just being picky. He saw the writing on the wall. His role would’ve been reduced to a glorified cameo. “Rocky needs to be one-on-one with Adonis Creed for it to really work—like Mickey and Rocky—you know that kind of relationship.”
That’s the heart of it. In the original Rocky films, Mickey wasn’t just a trainer. He was a tough, crusty, father-figure mentor who pushed Rocky to the edge, but always had his back. Rocky inherited that same torch with Adonis Creed—showing him not just how to fight, but how to live. That one-on-one dynamic is the soul of the franchise. Strip it out, and what’s left? Just another fight movie.
A “Radically Different” Movie Deserved a Radically Different Cast
Let’s be real—Creed III was not a boxing movie. It was a family drama wrapped in a few training montages. Stallone called it out: “It’s more family-oriented and [Creed is] dealing with more peripheral characters.”
And when asked if he’d ever watch Creed III? His answer was brutal. “Never.”
That came straight from a SiriusXM interview with Jessica Shaw. No hesitation. No sugarcoating.
Stallone isn’t bitter at Michael B. Jordan—he’s just honest about where the franchise went. “I kept looking for where do I insert myself here… I’d basically be walking around with a bucket ready to spit.”
And he’s not wrong. Creed III moved on from the mentor-mentee story. And in doing so, it moved on from the best part of the series.
Stallone vs. Winkler: The Fight Behind the Scenes
There’s another angle here—and it’s a big one. Stallone doesn’t own the rights to Rocky.
Yes, really. The guy who wrote it. Starred in it. Fought tooth and nail to get it made. Legally? It’s not his.
Producer Irwin Winkler holds the rights. Stallone has called this one of the deepest wounds of his career. In his words: “Let’s be realistic here—you can’t make peace when someone has been so, so nefarious in my opinion.”
He’s not after money. He’s after legacy. “I wrote it. I thought it would be nice to say, here’s a gesture, darling—here, beautiful children, beautiful wife—when I’m long gone, this is you. This is what I made. This part of my legacy… and that’s never going to happen.”
That’s why this cut runs deeper than any bruised ego. It’s about a man who created an American icon—and lost control of it.
So when Winkler and Jordan co-signed a script that boxed Rocky out of the story entirely, Stallone wasn’t in a position to stop it. He wasn’t even a producer on Creed III.
No surprise then that he said, “It’s been such a real rough emotional ride, that’s all.”
Will Stallone Ever Come Back?
Don’t count him out for a potential Creed 4.
“If there’s a four, I’m there.”
That’s the real Stallone. If the script makes sense, and the right people are involved (read: not Winkler), he’s in. But only if there’s a real story for Rocky—one that honors the bond he built with Adonis and the fans who’ve followed him since 1976.
Because no matter how good the fights look in IMAX, there’s no Creed without Creed’s corner.
