The following contains spoilers for Rocky IV.The death of Apollo Creed in Rocky IV is one of the most devastating moments in cinema history. Although Apollo wasn’t the lead in the boxing movie, his death shocked fans of the franchise, especially because of how tragic and unexpected it was. But as it turns out, Apollo’s death wasn’t exactly vital to the film’s plot. In fact, Sylvester Stallone, the writer, director, and the star of the film didn’t want him to die, and regrets the decision because he then could not replace Apollo with anyone.
40 years after the release of the original film, Stallone says Apollo didn’t have to die, and therefore, fans didn’t have to go through the trauma of seeing the iconic character die on screen at the hands of Ivan Drago. In the film, Rocky has taken a step back from the ring, and has doubts about whether Creed should fight Drago. Creed accepts Drago’s challenge, and Rocky has no option but to help his friend train for the match. During the match, Rocky has the option to throw in the towel and stop the match, and likely save his dear friend’s life. However, Apollo refuses, and the almighty Soviet fighter serves a death blow to Creed.
Stallone recently reflected on the beloved sequel when talking to Gold Derby, and regrets the story turned out that way. Nevertheless, he doesn’t regret getting rid of Apollo because of the trauma it caused. He does so because his character then didn’t have someone to “articulate with”:
“That was a tough thing to do. Here’s what’s so bad. Rocky depends on bouncing off of the other characters, otherwise he has no one to articulate with. I thought, ‘This is going to make people really angry at the Russian,’ but it also sabotaged me because I couldn’t replace him.
“So, I’ve told Carl, ‘I could have just given you a bad back or something, you know what I mean? Put you on crutches for a little while and kept you around.”
If You’re Going to Watch ‘Rocky IV,’ You Better Stick to the Director’s Cut
Rocky IV was an audience favorite when it premiered back in 1985. Viewers flocked to see Rocky basically dissolving the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and doing so in their homeland. Also, Ivan Drago is easily the best opponent Rocky ever had in the sports drama franchise. That’s not to say there weren’t a few silly things about the movie.
The film is an iconic symbol of the ’80s. The music, the robot, and the subtle propaganda. They were all key to making Rocky IV the most popular of them all. However, there was always a better version of Rocky IV, and fortunately, Stallone decided to release it in 2021. Rocky IV: Rocky vs Drago is a vast improvement over the original. Also deemed the director’s cut, this version of the movie gets rid of some unnecessary elements and is much more serious in tone. If you still haven’t seen Rocky IV, or simply want to revisit it, you should stick to this cut.
- Release Date
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November 27, 1985
- Runtime
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91 minutes
- Prequel(s)
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Rocky 3, Rocky II, Rocky