Overview
- Stallone says early drafts had Rocky dying from ALS, leading him to pass on Creed for two to three years as Ryan Coogler kept pursuing him.
- He explained that killing an iconic mentor would depress audiences, favoring an open-ended exit over an on-screen death.
- Coogler and co-writer Aaron Covington revised Rocky’s arc to a cancer struggle rather than a fatal illness, after which Stallone agreed to join.
- Stallone describes the role as a largely dramatic turn with little physicality, which he felt was a worthwhile challenge.
- Creed earned Stallone a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination, and Michael B. Jordan continued the series with reports he is set to star and direct Creed IV with no release date announced.