Sylvester Stallone’s Game-Changing No to Ryan Coogler Saved the Creed Franchise

Rocky almost died in Creed. That was the plan. Sylvester Stallone said no, and that choice changed the whole trajectory of the franchise. Here is how we got from 'kill the legend' to 'let him live and mentor the next generation.'

The version of Creed we almost got

When Ryan Coogler first came in with Creed, his script reportedly had Rocky Balboa diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease and dying on-screen to turbocharge Adonis Creed's story. Stallone, who built his entire career on Rocky and never wanted to let the character go cheaply, pushed back hard. He says he spent two to three years dodging that draft, while Coogler kept pressing – and they even had the same agent, which made it extra awkward.

'I was never comfortable. I dodged that bullet for two years, three years. And Ryan Coogler was very persistent, kept pushing it. And we had the same agent, but I didn't want to do it because the way he had written it, Rocky dies.'

'He gets Lou Gehrig's disease. And I said, I have a big thing about characters like that dying. I'd much rather them get on a train going somewhere, and you never see them again. But to die, it will just bum the audience out completely.'

Eventually, Coogler pivoted. Instead of putting the Italian Stallion in the ground, Rocky stuck around to guide Adonis. Honestly, for a character that has carried so much audience goodwill for decades, that was the better move. Killing him would have been the obvious play; letting him age into an earned mentor role is trickier and more interesting.

Stallone had to fight without fighting

Playing coach instead of bruiser forced Stallone into a different gear. He could not lean on the usual 'brawn over brains' toolkit we have seen in First Blood, The Expendables, and, well, most of his filmography. He told GQ the job suddenly became all about the drama, because Rocky was in no shape to enter the ring.

'So once we got over that, I said, okay, we'll give it a shot. And it was a lot of dramatic acting in that because I couldn't use my body. I wasn't fighting. So that was a good challenge and it turned out pretty well.'

He is not wrong. Older, wearier Rocky works. And by Creed II, Stallone hands the franchise to Michael B. Jordan's Adonis on-screen and quietly steps off without a funeral scene or a forced goodbye. Door still open if he ever wants to walk back through it.

Why not killing Rocky mattered

Yes, mentors die all the time to motivate the next hero. It is a tried-and-true, and often tired, device. Stallone's call — and, to be fair, Coogler's flexibility — saved Creed from that template. Instead of shock value, we got continuity, history, and a living link between past and present. For a character that launched Stallone into Hollywood in the first place, that feels right.

Creed: quick stats

• Director: Ryan Coogler
• Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson
• Year: 2015
• IMDb: 7.6/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
• Worldwide box office: $174 million
• Production: New Line Cinema
• Where to watch: Apple TV+

Was Stallone right to keep Rocky alive? I think so. Let me know where you land.

You can rent or buy Creed, Creed II, and Creed III right now on Apple TV+.