Carl Weathers to Still Be Included in Super Bowl Commercial for FanDuel

FanDuel is moving forward with their Super Bowl ad.

Carl Weathers is still going to be in a Super Bowl commercial or FanDuel. The company debated scrapping their big game ad entirely after the Rocky star's tragic passing. FanDuel executive vice president of marketing Andrew Sneyd told Variety that they were moving forward after contact with Carl Weathers' family. The sports betting firm talked about their sadness about losing the legend. During the interviews, Sneyd also mentioned that FanDuel was already in the process of editing their Super Bowl ad because of tonal issues concerning Weathers.

Sneyd told them, "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. He really enjoyed meeting Carl and found him to be such an optimistic and energetic person."

"We had built a master. One is an edit if he makes the kick and we have an edit if he misses. That content we had in those masters wouldn't be appropriate for us to do any more," Sneyd added. "Since the news of Carl's passing came, we have been working with editors to help us get back to something that does make sense…. 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."

FanDuel's Statement On The Death Of Carl Weathers

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(Photo: FanDuel)

Weathers had been a part of a mounting campaign for FanDuel featuring former NFL star Rob Gronkowski. When news of The Mandalorian actors' passing hit the Internet, the company quickly worked to make sure that everyone felt like they were respecting Weathers' legacy in every way. If that meant the whole thing had to be retooled? Then, so be it.

"We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Carl Weathers," FanDuel wrote on their Twitter account. "Throughout his life, Carl was an iconic talent who had a profound impact on the people he worked with on and off the screen. FanDuel was fortunate to have had an opportunity to work with him during our Super Bowl campaign. We are adjusting our campaign accordingly out of respect for the family during their time of grief."

Carl Weather's Impact In Entertainment

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(Photo: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)

There's no denying the impact of Carl Weathers career in pop culture. Celebrities and coworkers from all of his previous dance shared amazing stories of their times with the Rocky actor. From his time in that franchise, all the way to his trip to Star Wars, there's no one with a bad word to say about him. On social media, fans have been sharing tributes nonstop since the news of his passing broke. You can see from this outpouring of love that his work spoke to so many people around the world.

His family delivered that statement that day, "We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Carl Weathers," Weathers' family said in a statement. "Carl was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life. Through his contributions to film, television, the arts and sports, he has left an indelible mark and is recognized worldwide and across generations. He was a beloved brother, father, grandfather, partner, and friend."

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