Which is precisely why I am troubled by new stories claiming Sylvester Stallone -- who is approaching his mid 70s mind you -- is looking to resurrect the character yet again, with a film centered on his character (after two critically acclaimed supporting turns in Creed movies).
This comes after he dramatically retired the role both on and off-screen with the release of Creed II. It was a moving, magnanimous gesture -- with Stallone's aging fighter literally telling Michael B. Jordan's hero it was "his time." And his character was allowed that film's final grace note, a tear jerking reunion with his estranged son.
But Stallone never seems to leave well enough alone. He's like George Lucas endlessly tinkering with his Star Wars films. He can't seem to say goodbye to this character. His attachment makes sense. Regardless of what you think of Stallone as a man or as a performer, it's hard to deny the Cinderella story like success of the first Rocky film, which he not only starred in but wrote.
That film made him an icon. And although he's had successes with other movies and franchises, his greatest success both commercially and critically has always been the Rocky films. And their track record is largely good. With the exception of the abominable Rocky V, there's a cast to be made that all the other films are either great or at least wildly entertaining.
He attempted a send-off once before, back in 2006 with Rocky Balboa, a movie that managed to outperform expectations and give the character some renewed dignity. Ryan Coogler, whose passion for the franchise was heartfelt and personal, found new layers in Rocky for Creed, leading to Stallone's second Oscar nomination for playing the same role, no small feat for any performer.
Creed II did nothing to squander the good will, but that doesn't mean that this could all end badly.
While Stallone has been pretty tight lipped about the content (something to do with Rocky mentoring another upstart) but my fear is that this new film will call for Rocky to throw some punches again, which feels silly and unnecessary at this stage of his career.
There's a reason Last Blood, Stallone's supposed farewell to Rambo is greeted with giggles whenever the trailer plays. People see Stallone's age finally catching up with him, even if he doesn't.
Of course, I'd love for Last Blood to be a poignant, Unforgiven-style bookend the grisly, grounded First Blood, but I'm not holding my breath. Instead, it appears to be a cheap looking, totally un-self-aware vanity project, although as true fan I hope I'm wrong.
There also has been talk of a Rocky 'prequel' series, but I am not entirely sure how that would work and I'm not exactly excited to see someone else in the Stallone role.
My worry is this is all about ego -- Stallone has also been publicly griping about his lack of compensation over the years for the franchise -- and an unwillingness to really cede the spotlight to a new (and more diverse) generation of cinematic heroes.
I'd love to see Stallone continue to stretch and demonstrate the acting chops he's shown in films like Copland and Creed. He clearly is capable of doing powerful work and there's no harm in trying something new. His legacy with Rocky is secure, so he give his fans something else to cheer about.
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