Sylvester Stallone fought tooth and nail to make the original Rocky film happen and has shepherded the series since. For the upcoming Creed III, though, Stallone will not reprise his role as Rocky Balboa, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

News broke via Stallone himself, who replied to a comment on his official Instagram. Asked whether there was a chance he would appear in Creed III, Stallone replied, "It will be done but I won't be in it. Keep punching." Stallone's rep confirmed to THR that he would not be appearing in the film. No indication was given whether this was a mutual decision or a whether one party or the other made the call.

This may be a bit of a surprise to fans of the series. Stallone appeared in six Rocky films and the first two critically-acclaimed Creed films. The ending of Creed II, though, had Rocky stepping out of the limelight and reconnecting with family. In that way, it makes sense that Stallone would not appear in Creed III.