Rocky survived the Creed trilogy, and given how perfect Sylvester Stallone’s send-off was, his death doesn’t need to be addressed in Creed 4.
Over the course of eight movies, Rocky Balboa’s character arc has been closed out beautifully, making it unnecessary to address his death in the upcoming Creed 4. Given the recent confirmation of Creed 4’s development, speculation has begun as to what the sequel’s plot will focus on. The Creed franchise gave Rocky Balboa new life as a mentor for the son of Apollo Creed, but introduced a cancer diagnosis for the ultimate underdog to contend with in the original Creed. With the franchise jumping forward a few years in Creed III, it would make narrative sense to address what happened to Adonis’ mentor and friend since his last appearance in Creed II.
While showing how Adonis deals with Rocky’s death feels like a natural route for Creed 4 to take, it would ultimately be a mistake for the franchise. Rocky Balboa is a larger-than-life character in the Rocky universe, and his life has far greater narrative value than his death ever could, especially as the Creed franchise continues to expand. On top of that, Sylvester Stallone already had the ideal sendoff as Rocky Balboa, and his death would not do anything to improve his character’s story.
Creed 2 Gave Rocky An Ideal Sendoff (For The Second Time)
Rocky Balboa has already been given two terrific sendoffs.
Over the course of the storied Rocky film franchise, the character of Rocky Balboa has been given not one, but two perfect sendoffs. After his return in Creed, Creed II saw Rocky confront his old demons once again in the form of Ivan Drago and his son, Viktor, who fights and injures Rocky’s surrogate nephew, Adonis Creed. After Adonis beats Viktor in their rematch, Rocky leaves Adonis to celebrate, noting that it’s “his time,” which is as graceful a bow out as any character could receive. Rocky’s perfect sendoff is completed at the very end of the movie when he reunites with his son Robert and meets his grandson Logan for the first time.
His reunion with Robert echoes his first sendoff in the franchise, which came at the conclusion of Rocky Balboa. After a grueling battle with a much younger fighter, Rocky loses by split decision, just as he lost to Apollo Creed in the original Rocky. Then, with his son Robert and Paulie at his side, he is embraced and celebrated by the crowd after once again proving to the world that he can compete with the best, just as he did in Rocky. The film ends with a beautiful moment at his beloved Adrian’s grave before he waves goodbye one final time. Either moment would have been an emotional and fitting way to say goodbye to Rocky Balboa, and neither involved his death.
Death Would Be An Insult To Rocky Balboa
As the ultimate underdog, Rocky Balboa’s story doesn’t need to be realistic.
The character of Rocky Balboa has transcended the film franchise; over the decades, Rocky has become one of the most recognizable characters in American cinema. On top of his notoriety, Rocky has also evolved into a character that many people can identify with. He has long been billed as the ultimate underdog, and the ideal fighter, not because of his skill or technique, but because there always seems to be another level of drive and will to keep going that Rocky is able to tap into. Ultimately, he is a symbol of the American working-class spirit.
Given his now-mythical status, Rocky doesn’t actually need to die, or at least be seen dying. The Rocky franchise is based in a realistic universe and the man that is Rocky Balboa will realistically die at some point, but that doesn’t mean that moment has to be in a movie. Death is not a part of what makes Rocky so important to people – quite the contrary, in fact. His grit and perseverance in the face of adversity is his defining trait. Therefore, the audience doesn’t need to see Rocky’s death play out on a realistic timeline or onscreen at all, as it would spit in the face of the very spirit that Rocky embodies.
Will Rocky Be In Creed 4?
There seems to be an opportunity and an appetite for Rocky’s return.
After being omitted from Creed 3, it’s fair to wonder if Sylvester Stallone’s time in the Rocky film franchise has come to an end, especially with Jordan’s Adonis Creed carrying the franchise forward. However, as the director of Creed III, Jordan left the door open for Rocky to return in an interview while he was promoting the movie, Jordan told Sports Illustrated, “I think there’s always space for Sly, for Rocky, to come back.” As for Stallone himself, he told the Associated Press that he would be open to returning to the franchise provided that longtime Rocky/Creed franchise producer Irwin Winkler not be involved due to past creative differences over Creed III.
Given the incredibly rich legacy surrounding Rocky Balboa, his fingerprints will always be present in any continuation of the franchise, whether it follows Adonis Creed or spins off to another character in the future. If his death is addressed in Creed 4, it will not only do a disservice to the character himself, but it will limit the impact that Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa can have on future franchise installments.