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Watch the Trailers for Creed III
When and Where Is Creed III Releasing?
What Is the Plot of Creed III?
Who Is Making Creed III?
Who's Starring In the Creed III Cast?
New life was breathed into the long-dormant Rocky franchise in 2015 with the release of Creed. Upon its announcement, fans of the 1977 Best Picture winner, and its numerous sequels, were skeptical about Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) passing the torch to a newer, younger boxing champion. Those fears ultimately proved to be unfounded as Creed not only lived up to the legacy of the franchise, it arguably even surpasses it. Creed is an absolutely masterful reboot that further develops previous characters in a meaningful way, it also introduced a new iconic name to the franchise with Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), the new hero of the franchise and the son of Rocky's former rival and close friend, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers).
In the first Creed film, directed by Ryan Coogler (Black Panther), Adonis put a promising career aside to pursue his passion for professional boxing but wanted to do so without standing in his father's shadow. He seeks out Rocky Balboa, who trains Adonis to not only become a formidable fighter, but also a better human being. Creed II, directed by Steven Caple Jr. (The Land), proved that the first film wasn't a fluke, crafting a compelling narrative of Adonis becoming a husband and father while also reintroducing the character of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) and his son Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu) as fleshed out antagonists.
With Sylvester Stallone officially retiring from the role of Rocky Balboa, it seemed that Creed II would have been the end of the Rocky saga. Yet, not long after Creed II's release, a third film was announced to be in development. This time, not only will Michael B. Jordan return to play the title character and produce the film, but he'll also be taking the director's chair for the first time. With Ryan Coogler still involved as executive producer and Jordan ready to show the world how he can direct a movie, Creed III (2023) is shaping up to be a worthy conclusion to the trilogy. Before Creed III arrives this year, here is everything we know so far about the next chapter in Adonis's story.
Editor's Note: This piece was updated on February 17 with the final trailer.
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Watch the Trailers for Creed III
The first official trailer for Creed III made its way online on October 18, 2022, which gave fans their long-awaited first look at the plot of the film, as Damien, an old friend of Adonis' has recently been released from prison, and plans to take on his brother-figure, who he believes left him behind for a better life. As expected, Stallone's Rocky Balboa is absent from the trailer, planting the franchise squarely on the shoulders of Adonis Creed.
Set photos have made their way online, showcasing Michael B. Jordan in the directing chair and offering a first look at the latest rival boxer for the franchise, Damien Anderson, played by Lovecraft County (2020) and Loki (2021) star Jonathan Majors. Whether it was to prep a fight with Adonis Creed in the upcoming sequel or to prep a fight with the Avengers in the highly anticipated Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (2025), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu jokingly said on Twitter that "the Avengers are straight up effed" in reaction to Majors' ripped work-out transformation in the Creed III set photos. We also got a first look at the poster for Creed III at this year's Licensing Expo in Las Vegas.
Additionally, we also recently got a behind-the-scenes featurette that shows a bit more footage, paired with an emotional interview with Michael B. Jordan where he discusses the legacy of this character, being able to step behind the camera as director, and how Creed III will be the first sports film in IMAX.
A new trailer for Creed III was released on January 29, 2023, and a behind-the-scenes featurette followed on February 10. We also got yet another trailer during Super Bowl LVII. The final trailer for Creed III was released on February 15 and it is epic! Check it out in the player below:
When and Where Is Creed III Releasing?
Creed III was initially scheduled for release in November 2022, but it has since been announced that the next chapter in Adonis Creed's saga will actually be coming out on March 3, 2023. As with the last two films, Creed III is currently expected to premiere in theaters. As for a streaming release, given Prime Video's recent multi-billion dollar purchase of Rocky franchise owner MGM, that seems like it'll be the most likely candidate for Creed III's streaming home.
What Is the Plot of Creed III?
When we last saw Adonis, he had just won a fight with Viktor Drago, ending a long-standing rivalry since Viktor's father, Ivan Drago, killed Adonis's own father Apollo Creed in Rocky IV (1985). Essentially every character gets a somewhat happy ending. Adonis makes peace with his family legacy, Rocky is able to reconnect with his estranged family, and even Ivan and Viktor decide to put this petty rivalry aside and focus on building a proper father-son relationship.
The next film in the series will likely focus on Adonis growing even further in becoming a better father to his daughter, and not following in the footsteps of other parental figures in this series who lost connection with their own children.
The official plot synopsis via United Artists Releasing reads:
After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has been thriving in both his career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian (Jonathan Majors), resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face- off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian – a fighter who has nothing to lose.
Creed III is the third installment in the successful franchise and is Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut.
Related:'Creed III': Michael B. Jordan Says He's Open to Expanding the Franchise
Who Is Making Creed III?
Michael B. Jordan taking on directorial duties likely means that this will be one of his most personal stories yet. The actor of such an iconic character rarely gets to direct the role's story in addition to playing it, and it feels appropriate given that Sylvester Stallone directed the second, third, and fourth Rocky movies as well as the sixth film Rocky Balboa (2006). Original Creed director and frequent collaborator with Michael B. Jordan Ryan Coogler will also be executive producing Creed III, along with his partner Zinzi Coogler (Judas and the Black Messiah). Ryan Coogler has also been given a story writing credit while his brother Keenan Coogler (Space Jam: A New Legacy) writes the screenplay with co-writer Zach Baylin (King Richard).
Ludwig Göransson (The Mandalorian) will not be returning to compose the score after working on the first two films, with duties being taken over this time by his Book of Boba Fett (2022) co-composer, Joseph Shirley. Returning from Creed II are cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau (The Many Saints of Newark) and costume designer Lizz Wolf (Jupiter's Legacy), with the rest of the crew being rounded out by editor Tyler Nelson (The Batman), production designer Jahmin Assa (Mid90s), and casting director Alexa L. Fogel (Judas and the Black Messiah).
Jordan told Empire that directing the film was a liberating experience, having taken advice from fellow actor-turned-directors such as Denzel Washington and Bradley Cooper.
“But it’s also like having a superpower: within your performance, you can also direct. It saves some time in some areas because you get a chance to self-correct in the moment. So that’s a liberating experience to have. It became fun after a while,”
Related:Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors Go Toe-To-Toe in New 'Creed III' Poster
Who's Starring In the Creed III Cast?
In addition to directing, Michael B. Jordan will play the title character of Adonis Creed for the third time. This will mark the first time that he won't be joined by Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, but he will be rejoined by Tessa Thompson (Thor: Love and Thunder) as his wife Bianca Creed and Phylicia Rashad (Soul) as his mother Mary Anne Creed.
Also returning are the two main boxers that Adonis fought in the previous two films, both of whom are real-life boxing athletes. These include Tony "Bomber" Bellew (Creed) as "Pretty" Ricky Conlan from the first film and Florian Munteanu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) as Viktor Drago from the second. This perhaps signifies that Creed may be putting some past rivalries aside to take on a new challenger in Jonathan Majors as Damien Anderson. Other recognized real-life boxing figures will also be a part of the film, including legendary cutman Jacob "Stitch" Duran, who also returns from the prior two films, as well as introducing boxing world champion Canelo Álvarez as Saul, making his acting debut. The cast is rounded out by Selanis Leyva (Spider-Man: Homecoming), Spence Moore II (We Are Who We Are), and Thaddeus J. Mixson (South of Heaven).Thaddeus J. Mixson (South of Heaven).
While Stallone won't be returning, Jordan has assured fans that Rocky's presence will still be felt in the film, despite the "regretful situation" regarding his departure.
“I think it’s in the spirit of Rocky, whose fingerprints will always and forever be on this franchise. The essence of him is still there. But at the same time, the Creed franchise is moving in a strong direction.”
