Jordan Talks “Creed III” and Stallone’s Absence
The Rocky franchise is one of the most beloved in all of cinema, with Sylvester Stallone’s boxing drama effectively launching the action stars career back in 1976. The series is also quite long-lived, with an entry appearing in every decade since. Many thought that the franchise was done after the sixth entry, Rocky Balboa, in 2006, but 2015’s Creed from writer-director Ryan Coogler breathed new life into the property and led to a sequel in 2018.
And that’s where things got a little tricky, as Stallone made it very clear that Creed II would be the last time he appeared in the series, though Michael B. Jordan, was perfectly cast in the role of Adonis Creed, the illegitimate son of Apollo, was optimistic about the future for Creed. So much so, in fact, that the actor has signed on to also direct the next installment.
During an interview this past week with IGN, Jordan spoke about the project and where things stand, commenting that:
[We] really want to build this story and this world around [Adonis] moving forward… I think that Sly let it be known that he wasn’t coming back for this one but I think, you know, his essence and his spirit… there’s always going to be a little bit of Rocky within Adonis. But this is a Creed franchise, and we really want to build this story and this world around him moving forward. So, it’s always respect and always a s–t-ton of love for what he’s built, but we really want to push and navigate Adonis forward and the family that he created. So, hopefully, you guys will love what I’m thinking… what we’re cooking up. I think it’s going to be something special.
It’s good to hear that there is such excitement for the film, even if it’s star character, Stallone’s Rocky, won’t be seen again. And it makes sense to try and move past the legacy of Balboa after 8 films heavily featuring the character. It will definitely be interesting to see what happens with Creed III and what direction the franchise is heading in.
