The Rocky Franchise Already Has The Perfect Balboa Prequel Story

Rumors are circling that a Rocky prequel series is in the works, leaving many wondering what the series will be about – but the first movie already set up the perfect story. While the Italian Stallion has mostly been known for his boxing career across the Rocky and Creed movies, the first film hints at Rocky Balboa’s dark past. While there are a lot of possibilities, the perfect way to do a Rocky prequel series is to focus on the boxer’s ties to organized crime.

Starting in 1976, the Rocky series has been met with massive amounts of success, with the series earning major box office returns, garnering critical praise, winning awards, and more. Although Sylvester Stallone has aged out of his role as a young boxer from Philadelphia, the Rocky franchise continues with the Creed movies, which focus on the son of Rocky’s opponent in the first two films, Apollo Creed. Although the Rocky series has been going on for over 45 years, new installments are still seeing success, and the franchise’s popularity and status mean that the series is far from stopping.

Before his boxing career takes off due to his fight with Apollo Creed, Rocky spends a large chunk of the first movie working as a collector for loan sharks. At one point, Rocky is even instructed to break someone’s thumbs, which he refuses to do. Although Rocky clearly doesn’t enjoy his job as a collector, the film makes it clear that he has been working with organized crime for a while. Instead of focusing on Rocky trying to make a name for himself as a boxer, Sylvester Stallone’s planned Rocky prequel should focus on Rocky’s ties instead. Rocky’s boxing career has been done to death, being the focus of six Rocky movies and two Creed movies, and a Rocky prequel wouldn’t be able to add anything interesting to that story. Rocky’s job as a loan shark collector, though, is an incredibly interesting new angle that could add something new to the franchise, making it the perfect Rocky prequel story.

Why A RockyPrequel Is The Best Way To Continue The Franchise

Sylvester Stallone was 29 when he appeared in the first Rocky movie in 1976. While Stallone still wishes to appear in sequels, with Rocky even acting as Adonis’ trainer in Creed II, the 76-year-old actor is simply too old to get back into the ring. Yes, future Rocky sequels could continue to focus on the kids of Balboa’s opponents or Rocky’s career as a trainer, but that would just be treading old ground. However, a Rocky prequel series could still have the Italian Stallion as the central focus, albeit with a younger actor in the role. Sylvester Stallone has even been the one advocating for a Rocky prequel, and if anyone knows what’s right for the franchise, it’s him.

Rocky sequels are a dime a dozen, but a prequel focusing on Rocky’s life as a collector would be the perfect way to continue the franchise while taking it in a new direction. This aspect of Rocky’s story is so underdeveloped that it’s criminal, and a prequel series would be the perfect way to explore it. While ideas are constantly being thrown around for a Rocky prequel, the first movie already set up a fantastic story.