Sylvester Stallone Says ‘Creed’ Sequel Could Reunite Rocky and Apollo (EXCLUSIVE) 

After a successful comeback in “Creed,” which has grossed $103 million at the U.S. box office, Sylvester Stallone revealed in a new interview with

that he’s already getting ready to step back in the ring for another sequel where he’ll play Rocky Balboa.

MGM, which financed the Warner Bros. release with New Line, is onboard. “There’s no doubt that we’re making a ‘Creed 2,’” says MGM CEO Gary Barber.

It’s not clear if Ryan Coogler, who is in negotiations for Marvel’s “Black Panther,” will return as director of the next “Creed.” “I know Ryan is probably going to be gone for a couple years,” Stallone says. “So there will be a quandary on: Do we work with another director and have Ryan produce, or do we wait? There’s a diminishing time acceptance of a sequel. Now they are cranking them out in a year.”

See More:Sylvester Stallone Is Retiring From Playing Rambo

Coogler and Stallone have already developed ideas for the new “Creed.” One version of the story would take place in the past, which would mean — in a surprise that would energize the franchise’s fans — bringing back Carl Weathers to play Apollo Creed, who died in 1985’s “Rocky IV.” “Ryan has some ideas of going forward and backward and actually seeing Rocky and Apollo together,” Stallone revealed. “Think of ‘The Godfather 2.’ That’s what he was thinking of, which was kind of ambitious.” Stallone said he’d recently bumped into Weathers, who looked like he was still in good shape. “I can’t believe I got in the ring with him,” he says. “Even if it was play fighting.”

Coogler is startled to hear that Stallone has already let the cat out of the bag about their plan. “Oh no!” he says with a sigh. “There are no secrets with Sly.” Jordan sounds more skeptical. “So it’s going to be a CGI-version of Sly?” he teases, adding that he’d like to be in the next film. “I’m trying to think about it. Knowing Ryan, he’ll find a clever way to make that work.”

Another option would be a linear story with Apollo’s son Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) taking on another challenger. “You’ll have him face a different opponent, which I would say is a more ferocious, big Russian,” Stallone says. “You can start to meld my experiences and then you start to bring different cultures into it. And you can see what’s happening with the Russians today in America. The complication will come with the girl’s ambition, because she’s not Adrian. She has places to go, things to see, the clock is running on her hearing.”

For more from our interview with Stallone, read this week’s

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I pray that this rumor never comes to fruition. I think Creed set itself up perfectly for a sequel: Creed has established himself in the boxing ranks with that fight, yet, and SPOILER ALERT…

The guy who was next in line for that title shot was that Wheeler kid from Creed’s gym, who ended up pulling out of the fight thanks to a broken jaw. Conlin has likely fought his last fight, meaning the title will be vacated and Wheeler should fight for the title in the sequel.

Adonis went a full 12 with the number 1 ranked fighter in the world and in the process became a big name draw. Wheeler previously knocked his head off his shoulders in the beginning of the movie.

One of the themes throughout the movie was Adonis’ struggle to step out of his father’s shadow, and it would be quite symbolic if his path leads him back to Los Angeles to Apollo’s gym in a fight against it’s top fighter; a man who has beat him previously (albeit an unsanctioned fight); an undefeated fighter who was the number 2 pound for pound fighter in the world, and whose lead trainer is Adonis’ (brother?) or at least a friend of the family, who refused to train him and forced his move to Philadelphia.

It’s just a thought, but it makes perfect sense: Creed’s gym, his legacy, versus Creed’s own blood, who wants desperately to be his own man, and whose name became a roadblock in his path towards that. In a way, Adonis shifted from Creed’s legacy to becoming Balboa’s legacy throughout the movie (it was brought up when Adonis questioned Balboa about his son in the picture, with Rocky revealing that his son never took to boxing and seemingly became estranged from his father after his mother passed). It almost becomes a Rocky vs Creed 4, with neither man actually having to step foot in the ring again.

I agree with Tony, there’s a lot of characters you can’t forget about, not a fan of the big Russian idea, personally think they killed Talia too soon but the video link user “Tony” sent is very cool, I’m gonna so help this young man’s idea!

The trainer from delphi is actually Duke’s son.

Anything to get Carl Weathers back in the game, he’s sorely missed!!

How does everyone forgot about Burt Young aka Paulie? I found this actor/writer kid from Chicago’s “Creed 2 Character Concept Teaser” and its insane, THIS is where the franchise should go, #PauliesNotDead , check this out 2https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ8lW6euF9A , it’s a must watch

Someone please tell Stallone that he’should about to kill that franchise. He needs to fade to black. Michael Jordan is the way the of franchise moving forward. If michael Jordan is put in the ring with the Russian fighter the franchise is dead.. Stallone is stuck in the previous millennium.

Oh, I could cry reading this. This series is like cock roaches. No way to end them.

Actually, I think that Adonis Creed should fight Chewbacca. The plot twist would be when we find out that He is actually a Skywalker when Adiran’s force ghost appears in the ring of the championship fight and spills the beans to Adonis. Yeah….that would be awesome!

I’d rather wait, and pay money for another great entry to the series compared to having a lesser quality entry next year.

The headline is a spoiler because they indicated the creed was about Rocky’s mortality when Stallone was on The Tonight Show

I feel what Sly is saying is a great idea in wanting to have Adonis to experience the same hardships that Rocky faced from previous movies. One idea that comes to mind is using Adonis’ love interest’s hearing ailment as an emotional attachment to a set back in his career like in Rocky 3. Of course her having a sharp painful experience which leads to her going completely deaf (Prior or during a fight) really doesn’t compare to Rocky losing Mickey before his Clubber Lang bout. However it could cause Adonis to really question his career and the risk of injuries that come with it. Or maybe it just reveals to us how much he loves her and that he is willing to give it all up to be by her side through her battle. Ultimately her love for Adonis would be matched when she talks him into getting back on the other side the ropes as we see an epic comeback like Sly in Rocky 3. I don’t know. Just a thought!

I say Adonis Creed comes back and the story focuses on him fighting russian champ Ivan Drago Jr! Avenge fathers death. “If he dies he dies.”

I love the idea of Rocky and Apollo re-uniting…let’s let Rocky pass. The poor guy is miserable and alone. Move the franchise forward

I thought Rocky was dating a chick in Rocky Balboa… ol redhead penny from the block. What happened to her? And what about her son. He coulda been a contenda …

Can we please be done with this franchise? Enough already!

Then rocky movies are all great and Inspiring films. As long as they keep being good, why end them. You can always not watch then if you are annoyed.

They have a chance to really cement Michael B. Jordan’s place in the whole Rocky universe if they continue on with Adonis’ story. I fear that if they did a prequel thing with Rocky and Apollo, the momentum behind Adonis will be lost. If they feel that they absolutely must do some prequel stuff, I’d suggest throwing in a couple of flashbacks here and there while keeping the main focus on Adonis evolving into a boxing star or something like that.

Not sure, of course, but I imagine that is what Coogler & Stallone mean when they talk about reuniting Apollo and Rocky – as flashbacks, using the CGI technology they used on Michael Douglas in Ant-Man, perhaps. Rocky cannot be the main focus of the new movie – it is, after all, Creed II. It should remain Adonis’s story with Rocky as a supporting player.

Rocky versus Godzilla Why hasn’t this been made? Can Rocky be in the next Star Wars/Star Trek flick? Make it so.

I mean this in the best way possible, but Rocky needs to die in Creed 2. I don’t think they should continue to keep him on as he slowly dies and make a big deal about it. And knowing the character of Rocky, I think now that his training with Adonis is really done, he’s ready to join Adrien, Paulie, Mickey, and Apollo.

It would be interesting to see what happens. I remember reading that Stallone wanted Rocky to die in 5, but the studio said no, Rocky is like Superman, he DOES NOT DIE EVER.

While it makes sense story wise, I’m not sure it will happen, but money talks, so who knows. If it were to happen, I’m sure for some it would leave a sour taste in their mouth.

For me I would hate to see Rocky Balboa die on screen. He is an iconic and beloved movie character and I have no wish to see that happen. If Creed ends up being a trilogy, perhaps they can suggest that is what happens to Rocky at the end of the third movie, off-screen. Seeing it on screen would be too tough to take for many, many viewers.

i think it’s time to stop all the rocky stuff. can’t this guy do anything else of consequence? personally i lost interest in stalone many years ago.

And u what did you og consequence in your life so far? C’mon we are dyin ta know here…

That’s why you clicked on, read, and then commented on the story….lol

I would think the clear setup for the sequel opponent would be the fighter who knocked Adonis out in one of the opening scenes. His character was identified on screen as one of the top fighetrs in the world, was being trained by “Duke” Tony’s son. Being a top fighter and knocking out the hero of the movie couldn’t have been a better setup for a sequel.

I’d like to see and it would make sense to see Adonis take on A Russian son from the guy who killed Apollo!

I did not like your idea upon first read. After taking a moment to think of Dolph reprising his most iconic role, taking a new turn as good guy mentor, I absolutely love it! Who better to take over for Rocky as mentor? Clubber Lang? No.

@Rob Taylor I was thinking something similar to what you’re saying.

Nah, I always felt that Drago should have been like Spider, came to America after his country rejected him, hated, down on his luck… if Rocky dies that would be a very interesting dynamic for the film, to have Adonis seek out Ivan and he become the mentor… Dolph could pull that off pretty well.