Creed 2, which debuted in the Fall of 2018, was likely the last time we’ll see Rocky Balboa as a living character in the iconic Rocky franchise that spans 47 years.
Why?
Sylvester Stallone, the actor who played Rocked since the franchise’s inception, doesn’t have a part in the movie.
And, perhaps, this scene (below) from the Creed 3 trailer takes place at Rocky’s funeral. It appears to be someone’s funeral.
We never saw Adrien, Rocky’s deceased wife, die nor did we see Paulie, his brother-in-law, pass away. We learned about their fate in the respective subsequent sequels. Perhaps that’s how Rocky dies too?
Rocky is so iconic that no on-screen death scene could do him justice. Moreover, having to watch him die could ruin Creed 3 for fans who have followed the series since the 1970s and 80s.
Moreover, in addition to not wanting to be in Creed 3, Stallone reportedly plans to “never” see it due to a disagreement with directors and producers on the direction of the franchise.
So, how old is Rocky Balboa today?
Answer: He’s probably passed away for the reasons noted above. As of the publication, Stallone is 76 years old (born July 6, 1946)
How old was Rocky Balboa in Creed 2?
It’s safe to say that Rocky is roughly 70 years old in Creed 2.
Why?
Rocky movie timelines usually mimic real-life calendars. No, the franchise calendar isn’t an “exact” replica of actual, real-world timelines but its evident writers have tried to ensure the movies’ timelines come as close as reasonably possible.
It’s documented in the franchise Rocky wins the heavyweight title in Rocky 2 (1979) at age 31, making his birth year around 1948 (Two years later than Stallone’s). Three years later, Rocky 3 (1982) debuts and the franchise maintains real-life timelines by making the iconic character 34.
How do we know that?
In this clip, the TV news reporter says Rocky is 34.
In Rocky 4 (1985), Rocky, himself, reminds Apollo Creed the latter had been retired from boxing for 5 years. And in the series, it had been about 6 years since we’d seen Apollo in the ring (Rocky 2, 1979).
Close enough.
And in the movie Rocky Balboa (or Rocky 6), a journalist mentions Rocky is in his 50s. He was around 58 at the time, using our arithmetic.
How old was Rocky Balboa when he died?
Perhaps Creed 3 will give us more insight into that question. Using the very simple formula described above, he’s between 70 and 75 at death.
How old would Rocky Balboa be today?
As of this writing, January 1, 2023, he’d be pushing 75.
