Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Oftentimes, a sequel to a much-beloved film fails to meet the expectations set by its predecessors, which eventually ends up tainting the original’s legacy. Fortunately, this wasn’t the case with Sylvester Stallone’sRocky, arguably his most iconic franchise, which is still going strong with Michael B. Jordan taking its reign with theCreedfeatures.
However, getting the first sequel off the ground wasn’t easy, and if it wasn’t for one plot twist,Rockymight not have gone on to become one of the most celebrated franchises in the sports genre.
One Illogical Plot Twist Was Made inRocky 2to Combat Sylvester Stallone’s Injury
Coming off the success of theRocky, which won the Oscar for Best Picture, the sequel had a lot to live up to. But just a month and a half before the shooting was about to kickstart,Sylvester Stalloneripped his pec muscle right off the bone while training with bodybuilder Franco Columbu.
“I had a hard time making it as an actor”: Sylvester Stallone and Taylor Sheridan Are More Similar Than Fans Realize
Although under normal circumstances, this would’ve led to the shooting date being delayed back, Stallone was adamant about moving forward with its filming despite the seriousness of this injury. In order to combat his ripped Pectoral muscle, he made a change to the sequel’s story, which saw Rocky learning to box right-handed in the film, which Stallone later deemed“completely illogical.”
He said (viaThe Daily Mail):
“I said, ‘I’m not stopping this movie just for this.’ And this was a bad injury … I switched arms. That was one of the key things. But it’s interesting the way these incredible journeys happen. But we don’t stop, we don’t quit.”
But against all odds, the sequel did turn out to be a huge success, and even though it slightly fell short of the original,Rocky 2is still regarded as one of the best the franchise has to offer.
Sylvester Stallone Didn’t Like the Notion ofRocky 2Being His Big Comeback
AfterRockyput Sylvester Stallone on the map, its sequel three years later was seen as his big comeback. However, theRambostardidn’t quite agree with this notion, as betweenRocky1 and 2, he did deliver decent successes.
He toldRoger Ebert:
“You know what I think happened? After Rocky, I was almost set up in the eyes of the media to make a flop. The last two years have been pretty tough, public image wise. I said some things that did not exactly endear me. My ego got blown out of proportion.They all ask me, Will Rocky II save your career? Is this my comeback, they wanna know? Will it pull my career out of the toilet? I didn’t think I was doin’ so bad. I’ve never made a film that lost money.
But after hitting it big withRocky 2, the actor would go on to step his footing in the action landscape withFirst Blood, thus breaking his image of being a one-trick pony in the media.
“Like I’m almost apologizing”: A Romantic Scene in Tulsa King Turned into a Depressing One For Sylvester Stallone
Rocky 2is available to stream on Max.
Santanu Roy
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2540
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.
More from Santanu Roy
Tobey Maguire And Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man Era Dies In 2027: Reports
Good Boy First Trailer: Will The Dog Survive in The Scariest Horror Movie of 2025?
Sydney Sweeney’s Great Jeans Can’t Save Americana From Weapons Box-Office Onslaught: Full Report
Recommended
Fact Check: Has Activision Announced Call of Duty: Black Ops Remastered?
The Batman 2 May Get Its Worst Update That Will Affect Its Shot at The Oscar
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Beats MCU’s Lowest-Grossing Film as Story & Animation Outshine Star Power
Ballad of a Small Player: Everything We Know About the Colin Farrell Movie
These 5 Monster Horror Shows Are Like Alien: Earth, but Better
Brandon Sanderson’s ‘Isles of the Emberdark’ Ending Explained
RockySylvester Stallone
