Speculations that the Rocky Balboa character ends with the sixth installment of the Rocky franchise were doused when creator Sylvester Stallone, who also played the titular lead, announced the filming of "Creed." The spinoff movie, scheduled for release on Nov. 25th, focuses on the origins of Adonis Creed, son of Balboa's rival-turned-friend Apollo Creed, a former heavyweight champion.
While 'Creed' may look to be the spark of another budding franchise, as film review site JoBlo shared that possible sequels may be in the works if the movie proves to be a commercial and critical hit, it may be the end for Stallone's Rocky character.
In the upcoming "Creed" movie, Stallone reprises his role as the aging boxing legend from Philadelphia who is almost 10 years removed from his most recent boxing match in the 2006 film "Rocky Balboa." This time, he plays a reluctant trainer to Adonis, who sought Rocky with the hopes of becoming a boxing champion.
Rocky not only battles the personal demons in the ring but has to come to terms with his own mortality.
The character is diagnosed with cancer, a jab at the plot that may refer to the end of the Rocky icon. As his character winds up with cancer while becoming a trainer, Stallone believes that the Rocky story has now come full circle.
"I'm now the same age Burgess Meredith was in 'Rocky' - isn't that weird?" Stallone remarked in an interview with the Los Angeles Times."I'm the guy who's knocking on the door going, 'Hey, kid.' It's an unbelievable feeling. I'm very proud of it."
With Rocky expiring, Adonis Creed has the goods to take his place and become the face of a new franchise. Billy Donnelly believes that film powerhouse Warner Bros. could use another popular franchise once Rocky bites the dust.
"Warner Bros. would love to have another boxing series on their hands, given the popularity the ROCKY franchise had at one time, " Donnelly wrote in his column "And this couldn't shape up to be a more perfect passing of the torch from Sylvester Stallone's original to Michael B. Jordan's future."
