Summary
- Sylvester Stallone’s absence in Creed III can be rationalized by Rocky’s guilt after Apollo Creed’s death.
- Rocky’s avoidance of facing grief explains why he wasn’t part of Creed III, as he struggled with handling death in previous films.
- The death of Mary Anne in Creed III likely led to Sylvester Stallone’s absence in the film, illustrating Rocky’s avoidance of guilt and grief.
Creed III was missing one of the most significant pieces of the Rocky franchise — Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa — but Rocky’s absence ultimately made sense for the context of the movie. The 2023 sports drama, directed by Michael B. Jordan and written by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin, served as the ninth installment in the Rocky film series and the third movie in the Creed series. The film revolved around the return of Jordan’s Adonis Creed’s childhood friend, Damian Anderson, played by Jonathan Majors, following his release from prison and Creed’s retirement from boxing.
Creed came out of retirement to challenge Damian to a boxing match toward the end of Creed III, shortly following the death of his mother, Mary Anne Creed. Jordan’s character ultimately won the fight and seemingly returned to retirement, which many believe perfectly wrapped up Adonis’ story (even though Creed 4 has been confirmed). Although the 2023 sports drama film received positive reviews and was a box office success, many wondered why Rocky wasn’t a part of the project. However, one can justify his absence based on Rocky’s reaction to Apollo Creed’s death in Rocky IV.
As fans recall, Rocky felt guilty following Apollo’s death in Rocky IV. He felt as if he could have done more to prevent Ivan Drago from continuing his assault on Apollo in the ring (like throwing in the towel despite his friend’s wishes), so Rocky believed Apollo’s death was his fault. Consequently, Rocky’s guilt prevented him from contacting Apollo’s wife, Mary Anne. Rocky never called her, even after he challenged Drago to a fight and won, avenging the death of his friend. Nevertheless, Rocky’s regret prevented him from contacting Mary Anne, which explains why Sylvester Stallone wasn’t in Creed III.
Rocky might have felt residual guilt from Apollo’s death, resulting in him staying far away from the Creed family in
Creed III
.
Drago’s Spinoff Has Nailed The 1 Way To Avoid Breaking A Cardinal Rocky & Creed Rule
The Rocky franchise is set to expand with an upcoming spinoff centered around Ivan Drago, which would fall in line with a theme in the film series.
Rocky Not Handling Death Well Explains Why He Wasn’t In Creed 3
Based on previous Rocky installments, it’s evident that Rocky doesn’t handle death very well, which is why he was nowhere to be found in Creed III. One of the most significant (and heartbreaking) developments in the 2023 sports drama was Mary Anne’s death after she suffered a stroke. Her death crushed Adonis, but it also motivated him to face his past and fight Damian. Meanwhile, Rocky has notoriously run from facing his grief.
Creed III
is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video or MGM+.
Mary Anne’s death in the ninth Rocky movie proves why Sylvester Stallone didn’t star as Rocky in the film. Of course, Rocky wasn’t responsible for Mary Anne’s death, but he still might have felt residual guilt from Apollo’s death, resulting in him staying far away from the Creed family. Of course, Rocky should have been there for Adonis after his mother died in Creed III, but his previous actions indicate why he wasn’t, and his absence falls in line with his character.
Creed III
Creed III marks the directorial debut of Michael B. Jordan, who returns as his Rocky character Adonis Creed. In the sequel to 2018’s Creed II, Adonis’ life is going well both inside and outside the ring. But when Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors) is released from prison, he makes an enemy of his childhood friend. Tessa Thompson returns as Adonis’ wife, Bianca, along with Phylicia Rashad as his mother, Mary-Anne Creed.
- Release Date
- March 3, 2023
- Writers
- Zach Baylin , Keenan Coogler
- Franchise(s)
- Rocky , Creed