Credit: LucasfilmAs his colleagues, fans, and family continue to mourn, late Rocky (1976) actor Carl Weathers — who passed away unexpectedly on February 1, 2024 — will still appear in an upcoming Super Bowl LVIII ad, marking one of his final onscreen performances.
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Carl Weathers, best known for playing Apollo Creed in the Rocky franchise and, more recently, Greef Karga in the Disney+ Star Wars spinoff, The Mandalorian, passed away “peacefully in his sleep” earlier this month at the age of 76, spurring thousands of tributes to pour in from his former co-stars, friends, and fans, including Sylvester Stallone.
A true Hollywood multi-hyphenate and former professional linebacker, it’s no wonder that sports-betting website FanDuel tapped Weathers to star in an advertisement for Super Bowl LVIII, which kicks off at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, February 11. “The Game of Games” will see the Kansas City Chiefs going up against the San Francisco 49s and, as always, will feature many big-budget commercials from all major brands.
Prior to his passing, Weathers had appeared in teasers for FanDuel’s Super Bowl commercial, which will again see NFL alum Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski attempting to kick a field goal for the “$10 Million FanDuel Kick of Destiny.” This year, that highly-anticipated kick will take place just before gameplay starts, with a follow-up commercial starring Weathers as a coach to air shortly after.
Related: Tributes Pour in After ‘The Mandalorian’ Star Peacefully Passes in His Sleep
According to Andrew Sneyd, FanDuel’s executive vice president of marketing (per Variety), the company will make some changes to Weathers’ commercial that will be appropriate, with Sneyd adding, “The family has been very supportive that they would still like to see Carl in the work.”
While it might seem distasteful to air Weathers’ FanDuel commercial just weeks after his death, the company is adjusting the ad to make sure the actor’s family is “comfortable” with the final result. “We need to change what we are doing in the Bowl. The live event itself carries forward and as is. Rob will kick the field goal, and he will be even more inspired to make it,” Sneyd told the publication. “He really enjoyed meeting Carl and found him to be such an optimistic and energetic person.”
Sneyd went on to explain that “one is an edit if he makes the kick, and we have an edit if he misses,” adding, “That content we had in those masters wouldn’t be appropriate for us to do anymore.” According to the exec, FanDuel is working closely with Weathers’ family, and editors have been working diligently to “help [the company] get back to something that does make sense” ever since news of his passing broke.
Despite having editors working around the clock, Sneyd admitted that the process has been difficult, saying, “We have been viewing edits through tears. We really enjoyed the short time we had to work with him. He’s a wonderful man and he genuinely is an inspiration and had such a positive outlook on the world. We want to make sure we try to meet this moment with the respect it deserves.”
It goes without saying that the loss of Weathers will surely be felt at this year’s Super Bowl LVIII, and we can only hope that his upcoming FanDuel commercial is a fitting tribute to such an iconic actor. As for his ongoing role in The Mandalorian, it’ll be interesting to see how the series moves forward without Greef Karga, especially after Disney and Lucasfilm announced The Mandalorian & Grogu (TBA), which co-creator Jon Favreau will direct.
Ultimately, Carl Weathers’ enduring legacy will live on in the hearts of fans, and maybe seeing him in action for his posthumous Super Bowl LVIII ad will provide some solace to those stricken by his death.
Do you think it’s appropriate for FanDuel to air Carl Weathers’ Super Bowl LVIII commercial just weeks after his passing? Share your thoughts in the comments below.