Sylvester Stallone’s Wife Called Him a Coward for Not Wanting to Play a Sick Rocky in ‘Creed’

Sylvester Stallone already needed some major convincing to star in the Rocky sequel Creed. But after seeing the direction filmmaker Ryan Coogler was taking his character, Stallone had even more concerns about the sequel.

Sylvester Stallone didn’t like Ryan Coogler making Rocky sick in ‘Creed’

Creed marked a major comeback for both the Rocky franchise and Sylvester Stallone himself. Stallone’s last Rocky film before Creed, Rocky Balboa, was met with positive reviews for its storytelling and Stallone’s performance.

But nine years after Balboa, Stallone’s Creed performance would earn him even further praise and a few noteworthy award nominations. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for both the Golden Globes and the Oscars. It was the first time the Rocky franchise brought prestigious awards attention Stallone’s way since the first Rocky.

It was a nomination that even surprised Stallone at the time.

“I actually am startled,” Stallone said in an interview with Variety. “It’s a character that I love and never thought I’d play again. I didn’t think it would resonate like it did, especially with a newer generation. I never went into the film thinking this is going to be a transformative performance. I just thought Rocky has a lot of issues, a lot of problems. He’s like all of us.”

But initially, Stallone wasn’t a fan of his character’s direction. In the feature, Stallone’s Rocky is diagnosed with cancer. Which he initially disagreed with Coogler on.

“To resurrect Rocky under the premise that you’re dying is a tough sell,” Stallone said. “I kept saying, ‘I’d be interested, but can the neighbor be sick, and Rocky helps?’ I didn’t know if people wanted to see him sick.”

In an interview with The Post and Courier, Stallone revealed it was his ex-wife Jennifer Flavin who convinced him otherwise.

“’You’re afraid to do something you’ve never done before. That’s called being a coward,’” Stallone recalled. “She was right.”

Ryan Coogler reminded Sylvester Stallone of himself

There were many reasons why Stallone originally shot down Coogler’s Creed idea. Apart from making Rocky sick, Stallone also felt his Rocky Balboa was a satisfying and proper conclusion to his character’s journey. But Coogler wouldn’t let go of the Creed idea. And after seeing Coogler’s directorial debut, Stallone began to second-guess his stance on Creed.

“So he goes away and does Fruitvale Station. Wins all these awards, and he’s offered multiple job opportunities and he keeps coming back to Creed. I see this and say, this fellow here obviously is functioning on a different kind of energy. It is heartfelt, not monetary, not ego,” Stallone said in an interview with Deadline.

Stallone went on to feel a personal connection with Coogler. Some of the traits and passion that Coogler displayed was very familiar to The Expendables star.

“It’s as though he has to finish a mission, which was a love letter to his father who had been very, very ill and that stimulated the idea. There was just something about this kid, who was very, very physical in his manner, but sensitive and emotional. It kind of reminded me…of me, truth be told,” he said.

‘Creed III’ was supposed to be Sylvester Stallone’s last appearance as Rocky

Stallone was last seen portraying his Rocky character in Creed II. But originally, he also planned to appear in the recently released Creed III. From his 2019 interview with Radar Online, it seemed Stallone intended to hang up Rocky’s gloves after the third film.

“They’re ready to go onto Creed III. Then hopefully I’m gonna turn in my bucket and towel,” Stallone said.

But plans seemed to have changed, and Stallone was nowhere to be found in the Michael B. Jordan-directed drama. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Stallone cited creative differences as one of the causes for his absence.

“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. I wish them well, but I’m much more of a sentimentalist. I like my heroes getting beat up, but I just don’t want them going into that dark space. I just feel people have enough darkness,” he said.