J Paul Johnson
It’s been a while since we’ve seen our old friend, the Rocky/Creed franchise, in the theatre, and while we’ll have to wait a little longer, MGM just dropped a trailer for the next installment, Creed III, due out March 3, 2023. Adonis Creed will tackle a new opponent but an old friend in the first feature film directed by franchise star Michael B. Jordan.
After Creed (dir. Ryan Coogler, 2015) established Jordan’s character as a viable heir to Sylvester Stallone’s beloved underdog Rocky, Creed II (dir. Stephen Caple, Jr, 2018) made Adonis Creed a World Heavyweight Champion, having vanquished Viktor Drago and secure in his relationship with Bianca (Tessa Thompson) and their daughter. There’s been a seven-year gap since Creed II, and Donnie’s kept his title and his new family intact. But the happy endings can’t last forever.
Emerging from Adonis Creed’s past is a man named Damian (Jonathan Majors), a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy. Recently resurfaced from a long sentence in prison—and more than a little to prove himself worthy of a shot at the champ—Damian boasts: “I was always the best, I just never got a chance to prove it.” The two spar, first with words, then with gloves, and finally, it looks, a real bout. But Donnie has everything to lose, and Damian has nothing.
After Ryan Coogler made himself a household name with the stunning first entry in the franchise and Stephen J. Caple directed a serviceable sequel, now it’s Michael B. Jordan’s turn to direct. Creed III will be the directorial debut for the star, and directing a boxing film while training for the lead role is surely no simple task, given the sport’s and the subgenre’s demands. The trailer for Creed III suggests the film will—unsurprisingly—feature everything the franchise’s fans expect: a fearsome new opponent, plenty of verbal jousting, a moment of self-doubt (shot, of course, in a mirror), a training montage, a title fight (or likely, two), a savage beatdown, and a final moment of truth.
One thing that’s missing from the trailer and the credits so far: Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) himself. At the end of Creed II, Rocky managed to fend off cancer and had left Donnie’s side to reunite with his wife Adrian and son Rocky, Jr. He’s nowhere to be seen in the trailer or the film’s credits or press kits. Can Donnie triumph over an adversary with nothing to lose—and without his mentor in the ring? Can Creed III continue the success of the franchise though this, the ninth installment?
It’s going to be a long winter’s wait to find out.
Creed III is scheduled for release March 3, 2023. Directed by Michael B. Jordan, screenplay by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin; story by Ryan Coogler, Keenan Coogler, and Zach Baylin. Starring Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris, Florian Munteanu, and Phylicia Rashad.
Trailer © 2022 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.
