Sylvester Stallone Would Only Do Another ‘Creed’ Film With Michael B. Jordan Under 1 Condition
Sylvester Stallone has been pretty vocal about his current situation regarding the rights to the Rocky franchise. This has left Stallone reluctant to participate in any Rocky projects going forward, including Michael B. Jordan’s Creed 3.
But he would be willing to do a fourth Creed movie with Jordan if certain conditions were met.
Why Sylvester Stallone became involved with ‘Creed’
In 2015, Stallone starred in Ryan Coogler’s Creed alongside Michael B. Jordan. A sequel to the Rocky films, the movie would see Stallone’s Rocky Balboa mentor the son of an old friend and a fellow boxer. Initially, however, Stallone was hesitant to appear in another Rocky movie directed by Ryan Coogler.
“It took him about two years to convince me. I had been very, very grateful the way last chapter of Rocky Balboa wrapped up his story in a satisfactory way for the audience. When Rocky waves goodbye, that was a goodbye to the audience and a thank you. I just thought, ‘Finally,’ and thought it was a wonderful send-off,” Stallone once told Deadline.
But Coogler’s persistence even after the filmmaker’s success eventually earned Stallone’s trust.
“So he goes away and does Fruitvale Station. Wins all these awards, and he’s offered multiple job opportunities and he keeps coming back to Creed,” Stallone said. “I see this and say, this fellow here obviously is functioning on a different kind of energy. It is heartfelt, not monetary, not ego. It’s as though he has to finish a mission, which was a love letter to his father who had been very, very ill and that stimulated the idea.”
Coogler’s relentless effort also reminded Stallone of himself, which eventually convinced Stallone to give Coogler the opportunity.
“So I finally said, ‘You know what? Someone took a chance on me, once. I’m just going to throw caution to the wind and let him run with it,'” he added.
Sylvester Stallone would only do another ‘Creed’ under one condition
Stallone has recently begun to open up more and more about not owning anything of the Rocky franchise. It’s a heartfelt topic for the actor, one that he shared in a candid Instagram post(via Variety) earlier in the year. There, he called out producer Irwin Winkler for holding onto the rights of the franchise.
“After Irwin controlling Rocky for over 47 years, and now Creed. I really would like to have at least a little [of] WHAT’S LEFT of my rights back, before passing it on to only your children,” Stallone wrote. “I believe that would be a fair gesture from this 93-year-old gentleman?”
This has played a part in Stallone’s absence in the upcoming Creed 3. Because of these rights issues, Stallone confided that he’d never be able to watch the Jordan-directed sequel. But since his issues aren’t with Jordan personally, he didn’t rule out appearing in another Creed movie.
“Michael B. Jordan, nice guy, the studio’s wonderful. But it’s just the…it’s been such a real, rough emotional ride. That’s all. It really has. Now, if Michael B. Jordan, we come up with a story, I’ll do Creed 4 with him as long as the other fella’s not involved,” he said.
Sylvester Stallone would’ve taken ‘Creed 3’ in another direction
Stallone has also recently confided that his vision of the third Creed would’ve been much different than what fans will see in theaters. Creed 3 might have been a bit too dark for his tastes. Stallone would’ve preferred a much lighter approach to the sequel franchise.
“That’s a regretful situation because I know what it could have been. It was taken in a direction that is quite different than I would’ve taken it,” Stallone told The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s a different philosophy — Irwin Winkler’s and Michael B. Jordan’s. I wish them well, but I’m much more of a sentimentalist. I like my heroes getting beat up, but I just don’t want them going into that dark space. I just feel people have enough darkness.”
