I like Rocky IV more than V, but I don't vilify it V like some people do -- it was a decent movie. However, I do think the concept of Creed's son is compelling and should probably have been used in Rocky V instead of Rocky's own son.
It is what it is though, and without V, there wouldn't be that nice father and son scene in Rocky Balboa.
Thats exactly what irked me about Rocky Balboa. Apollo could have appeared as a flashback sequence or something and gave some advice or insight or some talk about death and legacy or something. During the movie, I was thinking: "Seriously, Rocky? Apollo was your best bud for ~3 movies and you don't even mention him or think about him once in the whole movie? Come on Rocky..."
I don't remember any scenes with an Apollo stand-in at all though; I'd have to watch it again.
For me, I think III was weakest but had the best theme song.
Yeah it's very brief, found mention of it on the imdb trivia section while doing a Google search. Here is the text:
According to Stallone, Carl Weathers does not appear in the film because Weathers wanted a role in the film, even though his character Apollo Creed had died in ROCKY IV; Stallone refused, so Weathers refused to grant Stallone permission to use archive footage of him. The brief clip of the fight between Rocky and Apollo was recreated using a body double.
I get what your saying though, but he looks so different now then from the original movies I think it would be hard to mask it. Maybe they can reprise him as apollos father and age him further ;-)
I really think this is how they should go about trying to bring back retired franchises (seeing how it's been so overdone over the years). Don't remake the same movie, but tap into story and focus on new characters with their own stories. That's not guarantee to make a great movie but then at least I'm not watching the exact same sort again (got stuck watching the Charlie and the chocolate factory remake this week, which gene wilders version btw was still better even without the millions spent on special fx).