Fears Over Rocky's Life On Are The Rise After The Creed 3 Trailer

Fans of "Rocky" spinoff franchise "Creed" have had to wait some time for the third entry in the film series since info about its development began circulating. Back in 2021, for example, lead actor Michael B. Jordan's trainer Corey Calliet shared some footage of how Jordan was training for "Creed III," previewing the return of the actor's chiseled physique for the third movie well in advance of its now-planned March 2023 release date.

Nearly a year later, on October 18, 2022, fans got their first look at Jordan's titular Donnie Creed in action after the first trailer for "Creed III" dropped online. In it, Donnie meets up with Dame Anderson (Jonathan Majors), a childhood acquaintance recently released from prison. At first, the two men train together at Donnie's boxing gym, but when it becomes apparent Dame is motivated by revenge, the former friends ready themselves for a marquee fight against one another.

This latest "Creed III" trailer also includes a number of small details some viewers may have missed, like an homage to a classic moment from "Rocky IV." It also at one point cuts to brief shot of Donnie dressed in black at a cemetery, which, along with key supporting evidence, is leading some to fear for the life of Sylvester Stallone's iconic Rocky Balboa in "Creed III."

In addition to his attending a funeral, the first "Creed III" trailer includes some footage of Donnie training for his big match against Dame. At no point, however, does Donnie's trainer Rocky appear in this sequence, leading some to think that this all points to Rocky being dead in "Creed III." Twitter user @thekalebwomack, for example, wrote "Yup. Rocky is dead in Creed 3..." on the day of the trailer's premiere. User @dillonscheuer, meanwhile, shared that Rocky's death would make them feel upset. British outlet The Daily Express even posted an article about the prospect of Rocky's death based on these sorts of fan reactions.

Compounding the possibility that "Creed III" might kill off Rocky for the first time in the franchise's history is the fact that Sylvester Stallone confirmed that he's absent from the upcoming sequel during its development (via Metro.co.uk).

That said, some fans like Twitter user @ViewerAnon are suggesting that Rocky isn't dead but simply spending time with his son, which was effectively set up in "Creed II." Whatever the case may be, viewers' fears for Rocky's life will most likely persist based on the currently-available evidence until his status in the story of "Creed III" is confirmed definitively.