The Creed franchise gave Sylvester Stallone’s character, Rocky Balboa, a much better sendoff than the Expendables. While Rocky did not appear in Creed III, it was a natural conclusion to his character’s arc, and his exit was well-received by critics. In contrast, Expend4bles, which is meant to be a “passing of the torch” movie, had a weak storyline for Stallone’s character, Barney Ross.
Rocky’s absence in Creed III was a deliberate choice, as he had already passed the torch to Michael B. Jordan’s character, Adonis Creed. The end of Creed II saw Rocky tell Adonis it’s time for him to take over, and he walked away from the boxing ring. This was a fitting ending for the iconic movie character.
The Creed franchise made Rocky an even better character, and it’s unlikely that Stallone will return to either the Rocky or Expendables franchise. Although there was a risk of bringing back Rocky, the Creed films proved that passing the torch to the new generation was the right move for the series.
Sylvester Stallone has expressed that he doesn’t like when heroes go to dark places, which might be why he won’t return as Rocky Balboa or Barney Ross again. Expend4bles 4 had a disappointing box office reception, and it’s possible that the studio might try to bring Stallone back for a better fifth movie, but it seems they are interested in moving forward with new characters.
Creed III received great reviews without Stallone, and it’s likely that the series will continue with Michael B. Jordan at the helm. There’s a chance that Stallone might not want to return as Rocky, and given the darker direction the Creed movies are heading in, it’s unlikely that he will reprise his role.