Sylvester Stallone declined John G. Avildsen’s offer to direct Rocky Balboa, saying he wanted to retain responsibility for the film himself. The reported remark that he would “want to kill” Avildsen if the project failed was presented as a joke, underscoring Stallone’s determination to control the final chapter of the character he created.

Avildsen, who won the Academy Award for directing the original Rocky, approached Stallone about directing the 2006 sequel roughly two weeks before filming. Stallone had written and starred in the film, and said he preferred it to remain “one unit and one vision”, despite acknowledging the physical demands of making a boxing film.