Michael B. Jordan, who is set to star in and directMGM’sCreed3, explained why Sylvester Stallone isn’t returning to play Rocky Balboa in the upcoming sequel. Earlier this month,Stallone shocked Rocky fanswhen he revealed that he wasn’t reprising the iconic character inCreed3.
Stallone first played Balboa in 1976’sRockyand directedfour subsequentRockysequels(Rocky III,Rocky IV, andRocky Balboa). The iconic actor-director co-wrote 2015’sCreedwith Ryan Coogler (Black Panther) and Aaron Covington. The film served as a sequel/spin-off to theRockyfranchise and starred Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed, Tess Thompson as Bianca, and Tony Bellew a Ricky Conlan. Stallone played Rocky Balboa for the seventh time and was awarded the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.
RELATED:Michael B. Jordan Is Making His Directing Debut With Creed 3
Due to the success ofCreed, a sequel was released in 2018.Creed 2received positive reviews from critics and grossed $214 million worldwide on a $35 million budget. The film was directed by Steven Caple Jr. and sawCreed fight Ivan Drago’s sonin the ring. The sports drama concluded with Creed winning the fight and Balboa making peace with his estranged son.
This March, MGM announced that Jordan would makehis directorial debut withCreed 3. Keenan Coogler (Space Jam: A New Legacy) and Zach Baylin (King Richard) were tapped to pen the script. Jordan will produce the film alongside Irwin Winkler, Charles Winkler, William Chartoff, David Winkler, Jonathan Glickman, and Ryan Coogler. The television and movie star said in a statement that directing had always been a goal of his, and the timing couldn’t be more right to take on his first project.
Thompson and Jordan are set to reprise their roles from the first twoCreedfilms, while Stallone confirmed that he will not appear inCreed 3, as previously mentioned. During a recent interview withIGN, Jordan said Sly’s “spirit and essence” will be felt in the film and he has enormous love for what he’s built. Ultimately, it’s aCreedfranchise and Jordan wants to focus on Adonis’ character arc. “Yeah, I think that Sly let it be known that he wasn’t coming back for this one but I think, you know, his essence and his spirit… there’s always going to be a little bit of Rocky within Adonis,” said Jordan. “But this is aCreedfranchise, and we really want to build this story and this world around him moving forward. We really want to push and navigate Adonis forward and the family that he created.”
While Stallone hasn’t specifically stated why he isn’t returning for the thirdCreed, he recently announced that his new cut ofRocky IVis complete. The director’s cut will reportedly feature extra footage of Apollo and Drago’s iconic fight. The 74-year-old action star is currentlywriting a pitch for aRockyprequel seriesand will next be seen as King Shark in James Gunn’sThe Suicide Squad.
Creed 3is scheduled to be released in theatres on July 09, 2025.
