WARNING: Spoilers for Creed 2 below
The actor behind Creed 2’s surprise cameo has explained why the scene is so important for the character of Rocky Balboa. Rocky is famously a character who was born out of desperation for Stallone, who was a struggling actor early in his career, and he wrote the first draft in three days after pitching the concept to producers. They liked it so much they wanted to buy it off him and turn it into a vehicle for a bigger star like Burt Reynolds or James Caan, but despite being offered increasingly large sums of money, Stallone insisted he play the title role.
Stallone’s gamble paid off and Rocky became an Oscar-winning success. Stallone has played the character eight times now, with each sequel charting Rocky’s emotional and often heartbreaking journey. Fans have followed him from being the ultimate underdog to the heavyweight champion of the world to a lonely widower brought back to life by the chance to train the son of his former rival. The actor recently announced Creed 2 would be the final time he played the role, and that the torch has been passed to Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan).
Related: Sylvester Stallone Posts ‘Final Farewell’ To Rocky Character
The movie ends on an emotional note for Rocky, who has spent the movie trying to work up the nerve to contact his estranged son Robert, and the young grandson he’s never met. Milo Ventimiglia reprised the role from 2006’s Rocky Balboa in a surprise appearance, and in a new interview with Kevin McCarthy, he explained how the cameo came about and why the scene is the ultimate victory for Rocky.
Creed 2 also featured a surprise cameo by Brigitte Nielsen as Ludmila from Rocky IV, the ex-wife of Ivan Drago and the estranged mother of Viktor, which added a great deal of weight to their storyline. While the sequel may not have hit the same heights as Creed, it was still an emotional, intense ride filled with great performances. Ventimiglia’s cameo also proved to be a satisfying end to Rocky’s on-screen journey.
That said, Stallone has announced his retirement as Rocky before, starting with 1990’s Rocky V, and Rocky Balboa was intended to be the definitive closing chapter. Even co-star Dolph Lundgren cast doubt on Creed 2 being Stallone’s final appearance, so there’s still a chance he could make a cameo in future Creed movies. There’s also a chance Ivan Drago could reappear, with Lundgren suggesting a deleted scene involving redemption for his character was cut so it could be brought back in the next movie.
