When Rocky Balboa dropped in 2006, it brought the Italian Stallion back for one last fight. But fans quickly noticed something was off — Rocky Jr. didn’t look the same. In fact, he wasn’t. The role of Robert Balboa Jr., played by Sage Stallone in Rocky V, had been recast.
So, why wasn’t Sage Stallone in Rocky Balboa?
Trouble Between Father and Son?
According to an early report from The Can Magazine, the real story wasn’t about acting chops or availability — it was personal.
Back in 2005, whispers out of Hollywood suggested Sage was blindsided. He allegedly never got a call about the film. Even more, he and his father weren’t speaking at the time. The tension, reportedly, stemmed from a short film Sage had directed called Vic. The story centered around an aging actor — something Sylvester Stallone may have taken as a dig at his own career.
Here’s how the original quote put it:
“A few weeks had gone by since the greenlight of Rocky VI and still no word from his dad so he decided to call himself. After one week of Sly’s answering service telling him his father wasn’t home, he finally gave up. I really felt like crap when he told me this, and worse, how it all ended. It was Sage’s mother [Sasha Czack] who ultimately gave him the bad news. Instead of a phone call from Sly.”
That quote says it all — silence can hit harder than a left hook. Now, we don’t know if any of that is true — that’s just what the rumor mill said at the time.
Why Milo Ventimiglia Got the Role Instead
With Sage out, Milo Ventimiglia stepped in. Stallone later said Milo reminded him of a younger version of himself — right down to the crooked mouth. And honestly, Milo delivered. His version of Robert Jr. felt disconnected, even bitter — which actually worked well for the story. It showed how far Rocky had drifted from his son, and how much they both had to fix.
For more on this chapter of the franchise, check out our deep dive on Rocky Balboa.
Sage Joined the Stallones at the Premiere
Things couldn’t have been all bad between Sage and Sly. Despite the casting switch, Sage Stallone showed up at the Rocky Balboa world premiere at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. He was photographed laughing and joking around with his father, surrounded by the entire Stallone family. Whatever tension existed behind the scenes, at least for that night, it looked like it took a back seat to the moment.
More Than a Casting Choice
This wasn’t just about switching actors. It was about real-life father-son baggage. In the 2023 Netflix doc Sly, Stallone opened up a bit about his complex relationship with Sage. He didn’t name names or bring up Rocky Balboa directly — but you could feel the weight.
Sage Stallone passed away in 2012 at just 36 years old. He only played Rocky Jr. once, but his performance in Rocky V still hits hard — especially if you know what was going on behind the scenes.
