Rocky Not Returning For Creed III Can Break Its Balboa Copycat Trend
Adonis Creed's underdog journey, so far, has undoubtedly drawn its inspiration from its parent franchise, but Rocky's absence from Creed III can finally break this trend and allow the Michael B. Jordan series to carve its own unique path. Ryan Coogler's Creed does an incredible job at reimagining and refashioning the Rocky series — especially the first film — in such a way that it is indistinguishable from the original but still subversive in its own way. Rocky's legacy reigns supreme, but Sylvester Stallone allows his character to take a backseat as a coach and empowers Michael B. Jordan's Adonis to find his way to glory.
Similarly, Creed II references Rocky IV's material and portrays how Rocky and Adonis carry the weight of Apollo's untimely demise. While the stories of both characters are crucial to the film, it becomes evident that Rocky is slowly easing his grip while Adonis is clenching his fists tighter into the hearts of the franchise's audience. The subtle shift in focus from The Italian Stallion's catharsis to Donnie's moral victory against Ivan Drago sets up a solid foundation for the Creed franchise. More than that, though, it serves as a swansong for Rocky, who finally lets go of his past mistakes and passes the torch of his legacy to Adonis Creed.
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Considering how Adonis' win against Drago resolves the major loose threads that previously connected Creed with theRocky franchise, it would now make a lot of sense for Creed III to move forward without Rocky. Even from a narrative standpoint, Stallone's return would unnecessarily stretch his part in the series, and continue to make the storyline repeat Rocky story beats. Rocky Balboa's storyline in
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