Sat Oct 25 16:00:00 UTC 2025: Summary:
Sylvester Stallone initially resisted signing on to the “Creed” movie due to director Ryan Coogler’s original plan to kill off Rocky Balboa with ALS. Stallone felt this ending would depress audiences. After Coogler revised the script to have Rocky battle Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and survive, Stallone agreed to the project. He praised Michael B. Jordan and found the dramatic acting challenge rewarding, ultimately winning a Golden Globe and receiving an Oscar nomination for his performance.
News Article:
Stallone Initially Rejected “Creed” Over Rocky’s Death, Says He Dodged a “Bullet”
Hollywood legend Sylvester Stallone revealed he almost didn’t reprise his iconic role as Rocky Balboa in the hit film “Creed.” In a recent interview with GQ, Stallone admitted he strongly opposed director Ryan Coogler’s original script, which called for Rocky to die from ALS.
“I dodged that bullet for two years, three years,” Stallone confessed, explaining that he felt the ending would be too depressing for audiences. “The way he had written it, Rocky dies. He gets Lou Gehrig’s disease [also known as ALS].”
Coogler, persistent in his vision, eventually revised the script. Instead of ALS, Rocky battled Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and survived. This change convinced Stallone to sign on, and the film became a critical and commercial success.
“So once we got over that, I said, okay, we’ll give it a shot,” Stallone said.
Stallone’s performance in “Creed” earned him a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He also lauded his co-star Michael B. Jordan, highlighting their shared dedication to the project. Jordan has since starred in two sequels, and is set to direct and star in the upcoming “Creed IV.”
While Stallone originally balked at the idea of killing off his most famous character, he ultimately found the change of pace challenging and rewarding.
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