Explained: Why is Sylvester Stallone not in Creed III?

While Creed III may be one of the most anticipated films of the year, the real star of the franchise, Sylvester Stallone, will not return to play his famous character this time. Fans may have already noted how the veteran actor has appeared less and less over the years. This is due to the actor's feud with producer Irwin Winkler, who owns the rights to the popular character and the rights to the entire universe, despite Stallone conceiving and writing the character.

It all goes back to 1976 when Stallone was not at the peak of his financial prowess and decided to sell the rights to the producer. Stallone realized that the sum he was given for the rights was not even close to what this enormous franchise had amassed over the years until it really took off. Sadly for Stallone, the series has expanded significantly since Michael B. Jordan's Creed inclusion. According to reports, Stallone solely received acting fees for the part.

There are a few other reasons why Sylvester Stallone decided to stay away from the franchise this time, but the feud with Irwin is arguably the most relevant one.

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"Never wanted Rocky characters to be exploited by these parasites" Sylvester Stallone on the present creators

Sylvester Stallone has been very vocal about his decision to withdraw from the franchise. He has also been very open about criticism of Winkler, who he believes robbed him and the franchise of everything. Though the actor did appear in eight films in the franchise, he has now finally come out with all the criticism he has been harboring over the years.

He reportedly told Entertainment Weekly:

"Another Heartbreaker... Just found this out... once again, this pathetic 94-year-old producer and his moronic useless vulture children, Charles And David, are once again picking clean the bones of another wonderful character I created without even telling me."

He continued:

"I apologize to the fans, I never wanted Rocky characters to be exploited by these parasites. By the way, I have nothing but respect for Dolph but I wish he had told me what was going on behind my back. Keep your real friends close."

He is reportedly very dissatisfied with whatever direction the franchise has taken and he does not want his legacy to be like this. This is another one of the big reasons Stallone chose to dissociate himself from Rocky.

Even while it appeared over time that the issue between Winkler and Stallone would be resolved, the actor, according to some of his claims, was far from being over the incident that cost him his legacy. Speaking about Winkler, Sylvester Stallone remarked:

"You can't make peace with someone who's been so, so nefarious in my, in my opinion."

Moreover, Sylvester Stallone has also been very busy. This could possibly be a factor in the veteran's decision to finally act on his long-held grudge. He currently appears in Tulsa King, Taylor Sheridan's new masterpiece. The new series has made a loud statement about Stallone retaining his charm and ability.

While viewers will miss out on the famous Rocky Balboa in Creed III, Stallone will be around with his other projects.

Creed III is now out in theaters.