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Convincing Sylvester Stallone to reprise the role of Rocky Balboa after a nine-year hiatus from the character was by no means an easy job for Ryan Coogler. When Coogler, who was still an obscure name in showbiz, reached out to Stallone with the offer to build upon Rocky’s legacy and take the franchise into a new direction, theRamboStar was less than thrilled.
However, theBlack Pantherdirector didn’t give up that easily, as he remained persistent, and fortunately, things eventually went his way after Stallone saw a bit of himself inside the director.
Also read:Sylvester Stallone “Frolicked Around” With “Unemployed Pole Dancers” Who Passed Off as His Mother’s Wrestler Friends When He Was a Kid
Ryan Coogler’s Perseverance Won Sylvester Stallone Over
Rocky Balboamarked a satisfying ending to the character’s journey, which, unlike the last few entries, actually retains the spirit that made the first two films great. So it’s reasonable to see whySylvester Stallonewas ready to put the franchise to rest, however, Ryan Coogler, who was starting out as a filmmaker, wanted to revamp the franchise in a new light. And while he was impressed by Coogler’s enthusiasm, Stallone was unsure about reprising the role, as he was satisfied with how things concluded inRocky Balboa.
But this wasn’t the end of it, as Coogler returned to theRamboStar after his first feature film,Fruitvale Station, starring Michael B. Jordan, was a major hit among critics. Speaking onThe Jonathan Ross Show, Stallone recalled,
“He had this kind of enthusiasm reminded us of us to sort of. But anyway he went away and made a film called Fruitvale Station with Michael B. Jordan here, it won all these awards… So he comes back after the Cannes film festival and goes ‘Now’, I said ‘he doesn’t quit does. He’s a really pesky guy!’ you know.”
As the story goes, Stallone reprised the role and played a different kind of battle in the film, which became the best entry in the franchise sinceRocky.
Also read:“He pulverized me”: 6ft 5in Dolph Lundgren Hit Sylvester Stallone So Hard the Doctors Said His Injuries Looked Like They’re from a Car Accident
Ryan Coogler Has Nothing but Laudation for Michael B. Jordan’s Directorial Debut
While Ryan Coogler was no longer steering the ship of theCreedfranchise, with the third part witnessingMichael B. Jordantaking the director’s gig, Coogler had nothing but laudation for Jordan. Even though directing is a whole different ball game, which isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, theBlack PantherStar was convinced Jordan“had it in him”. PerCollider, he said,
“With this year’s Creed III, he took on a new role-feature-film director-and handled it with aplomb. I knew he would. Because directing is a working person’s game… It’s like climbing a mountain summit through enemy territory with your heart exposed. But I knew Mike had it in him. Because over that quarter-century of work, nothing was given to him. Everything was earned. And I strongly believe that his best work is still to come.”
Also read:“He instigated it!”: Sylvester Stallone Got Red From Laughing at Michael B. Jordan After Actor Got Knocked Out Cold While Training For ‘Creed’
With the torch being passed to Michael B. Jordan’sCreed, whose directorial debut became a huge hit, fans are enticed to see the story unfold moving forward.
Creedis available to rent on Apple TV.
Santanu Roy
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2543
Santanu Roy is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on movies, with over 2,000 articles under his belt. He has been pursuing a degree in Animation and possesses a deep love for the medium of animation. Having spent the better part of the last two years pumping out articles for FW, Santanu excels at covering movie analysis and news surrounding Pixar, DCU, DreamWorks, and Batman’s cinematic legacy.With psychological thrillers and intimate slice-of-life dramas ranking among his favorite genres, Santanu is a big admirer of Luca Guadagnino, Shane Black, Park Chan-wook, and Brad Bird.
