Dismissing the notion that the auction was foreshadowing the end of either character, Stallone confirmed his future involvement in both franchise properties. “I embrace it and that’s why I want to continue to do it until my body explodes,” explaining his love of the characters (and possibly his alleged HGH habit.)
Stallone pointed out that Creed is the next movie in the Rockyverse, clarifying, “By no means is this a Rocky 7.” Instead, the retired boxer mentors the son of former rival-turned-trainer Apollo Creed. This could also leave the door open for the actual Rocky 7, where Balboa defies the odds, jumping back into the ring to beat the son of the man he beat 36 years ago until his body explodes.
He also shared the challenges in tackling another Rambo sequel. “I’m torn because the last one was so satisfying and hit all the buttons. How do you top that? Or do you try to top that?” Stallone asked, obliquely suggesting we lower our expectations. After all, Rambo’s murderous trail of carnage is seemingly at a wall. “Rambo has shot just about everybody. There’s no one left,” Stallone said. “We’re down to Eskimos. And penguins.” Of course, there’s always Ann Coulter, Bill Cosby, that dentist who shot Cecil the Lion, and Rocky Balboa.
A portion of the auction’s proceeds will be donated to “military charities,” acknowledging that without the real members of the armed forces, there wouldn’t be any sacrifices to trivialize through cartoonishly overblown violence. “My image… has been very American and very military-oriented,” said the actor. “It basically is something that has bolstered my career so I thought I’d like to pay back the real people that have supplied the inspiration for the characters I’ve played.”
