It’s the end of an era for Sylvester Stallone, as he is finally done with the “Rocky” franchise. In a video message to the fans, the veteran actor bid farewell to the iconic character, and he passed on the baton to Michael B. Jordan, who plays Adonis Johnson in "Creed II," to carry on the legacy.

For over 40 years, Stallone has played the fan favorite boxer, Rocky Balboa. In a post on his personal Instagram page, the actor said that it breaks his heart to bring the story of this character to an end. He thanked all the “kind and generous” people who have supported the franchise over the years and added that the character will live on in the hearts of the audience.

Stallone previously thought that the franchise had come to an end way back in 2006, but it gained new life in the form of the “Creed” movies. Rocky has taken the backseat in the new movies, as the story focuses on the son of the boxer’s late friend, with Rocky playing the role of a coach and guide.

The video message that Stallone recently shared online was shot on the set of “Creed 2.” In the middle of the night, as the cast and crew wrapped up filming, they demanded a speech from the veteran actor. In the clip, Stallone said that a whole new world has opened up for the audience of the “Rocky” franchise, and he thanked Jordan for making it possible. Jordan can also be seen in the video, and Stallone raised the young actor’s hand as a gesture of victory.

“Creed 2” was filmed in some beautiful locations. Stallone also shared his last picture from one of these beautiful sets on Instagram. The actor pointed out that this is an unaltered photo.

While Stallone ends his journey for one iconic character, he is preparing to reprise his role for another. He is currently filming the fifth installment of the “Rambo” films titled “Last Blood,” which suggests that this may be the last adventure for this character as well.

“Creed 2” is currently showing in theatres across the globe. The film was made on a budget of $50 million and so far it has managed to gross over $81.2 million at the box office, USA Today reported. There is huge competition this week from the “Harry Potter” film “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” and “The Grinch.” This led to Stallone’s movie raking in only $16.8 million in its second week, which is a drop of 53 percent from the earnings in the opening weekend.

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