Sylvester Stallone says hanging up Rocky gloves and not starring in Creed III was ‘regretful’-Rebecca Sayce-Entertainment – Metro

The Hollywood icon stepped away from the franchise in 2018 (Picture: Karwai Tang / WireImage)

Rocky icon Sylvester Stallone has said leaving the franchise and not starring in Creed III was ‘regretful.’

The actor, 76, announced he was stepping away from starring as Rocky Balboa following the release of Creed II in 2018.

The upcoming third installment in the franchise will see Michael B Jordan return as Apollo Creed, and the film will also serve as his directorial debut.

While at the time it may have seemed like he was just ready to hang up his gloves, it turns out there was more to the star’s decision.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Stallone hinted that he would have been willing to star in Creed III had the film gone in a different direction.

‘That’s a regretful situation because I know what it could have been,’ he said.

Sly Stallone has starred in eight Rocky films (Picture: Warner Bros / New Line Cinema)

‘It was taken in a direction that is quite different than I would’ve taken it. It’s a different philosophy — Irwin Winkler’s and Michael B. Jordan’s.’

He said he wishes the pair well, but he felt that he didn’t ‘want them going into that dark space’, possibly alluding to the tone of the upcoming film.

Stallone also revealed that, after 45 years with the franchise as well as writing and directing the original Rocky film, he doesn’t own any of the rights to the character.

‘It was a deal that was done unbeknownst to me by people that I thought were close to me and they basically gave away whatever rights I would have had,’ he said.

The upcoming sequel is the ninth overall in the Rocky franchise, with Tessa Thompson and Phylicia Rashad returning alongside Jordan.

Loki and Lovecraft Country star Jonathan Majors has also joined the cast as Anderson Dame, the latest adversary to go up against the protagonist.

Creed III comes to cinemas on March 3, 2023.

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