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The Creed movie franchise injected new life into the connected cinematic universe that began with Rocky in 1976, and with star Michael B. Jordan set to return for Creed 4, the new franchise has an opportunity to execute something that the Rocky franchise never did well. As early as the beginning of Creed III, Adonis had entered the sunset period of his career as a multi-time world champion. While the threequel saw him return to fighting shape in order to reclaim the title from his old friend-turned-rival, Damian Anderson, Adonis had all but retired from the sport.
The Rocky franchise never progressed Balboa quite so neatly, as he was still the reigning champion at the beginning of Rocky IV. That gives the Creed franchise an opportunity to explore ground previously untouched by any of the Rocky movies. While Adonis may no longer be the focus of the franchise from an in-ring perspective, he could still be the emotional center to the movie if his character follows through on a tease from Creed III.
Related
Creed 4: Confirmation & Everything We Know So Far
With Michael B. Jordan expressing interest in expanding the franchise and making Creed 4, here’s everything we know so far.
Adonis Can Successfully Train A Successor In Creed IV Like Rocky Never Did
Adonis Will Likely Be Retired In Creed 4
Given the passage of time that the Creed movies have stuck to, it seems likely that Adonis Creed will be fully retired by the time Creed 4 begins. While Adonis did in fact win his title back from Dame in their fight at Dodger Stadium, if the franchise jumps forward another few years as it did between Creed II and Creed III, Adonis will almost certainly not be the champion anymore, and will likely be out of professional fighting. That gives Adonis the opportunity to take on an entirely new story arc: that of trainer and mentor.
|
Creed Franchise Key Details |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Movie |
Release Date |
Budget |
Box Office Gross |
RT Tomatometer Score |
RT Popcornmeter Score |
|
Creed |
2015 |
$40 million |
$173.6 million |
95% |
89% |
|
Creed II |
2018 |
$50 million |
$214.1 million |
83% |
80% |
|
Creed III |
2023 |
$75 million |
$276.1 million |
88% |
95% |
Creed III already started to lay the groundwork for Adonis as a successful trainer, as he was deep in the training of his protégé, Felix Chavez. While Dame made sure that Chavez never had his title fight against Viktor Drago, Adonis could finish that arc and come into Creed 4 as the trainer/promoter for the reigning champ, Chavez. With enough of a time jump, he could also act as the trainer for his daughter Amara Creed, who has already been teased as Adonis’ replacement. Regardless of who he works with, Adonis successfully training a new fighter would be a plot that the Rocky franchise never carried out.
Rocky’s Only Apprentice In The Rocky Movies Gave The Franchise Its Worst Film
Rocky Trained Tommy Gunn In Rocky V
To be clear, the Rocky franchise made an earnest attempt at a Rocky-as-trainer plot with Rocky V. The 1990 sports drama saw Rocky stripped of both his fortune and his fighting ability; Rocky goes bankrupt, while also being forced into retirement due to a brain condition. As a result, he moves back to his old neighborhood and reopens Mighty Mick’s Gym, hoping to take on that trainer role himself. He trains a young fighter named Tommy Gunn, and after a convoluted narrative unravels, Rocky wins a street fight against his own protégé.
The
Creed
franchise has the opportunity to take another shot at that narrative, and have Adonis successfully train a new generation of fighter.
Rocky V is almost universally recognized as the franchise’s worst movie, as both fans and critics found it uninteresting and loaded with characters that don’t endear themselves to the audience. Tommy Gunn as a character is a huge misfire, and while the notion that Rocky would eventually take the place of Mickey was certainly welcome, the execution was disastrous. The Creed franchise has the opportunity to take another shot at that narrative, and have Adonis successfully train a new generation of fighter, just as Rocky eventually did.
Rocky’s True Apprentice Was Only Introduced Decades After Rocky V
His Real Apprentice Was Adonis Himself
The notion that Creed 4 could transform Adonis from a world champion to a seasoned trainer is an exciting one, considering the franchise has already successfully executed the premise. The real protégé of the Rocky Balboa character was actually Adonis himself, and it was perhaps the best thing to happen to the character since the original underdog narrative of Rocky. Ryan Coogler’s 2015 legacy spin-off was celebrated by both fans and critics, and Sylvester Stallone actually earned an Academy Award nomination for his work as the retired yet wise fighter-turned-trainer.
Sylvester Stallone was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his work in
Creed
, which was the first such nomination since he received two for he original
Rocky
, for Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay.
While all the Creed movies have been met with positive acclaim, the emotional impact that Coogler was able to wring out of the Rocky character has never been matched. With an actor of Michael B. Jordan’s caliber set to undergo a similar transformation from champion to trainer, Creed 4 could wind up one of the strongest entries in the connected franchise.
Creed
The Creed franchise, a continuation of the Rocky series, centers on Adonis Creed, son of Apollo Creed, as he rises in the boxing world under the mentorship of Rocky Balboa. The series explores Adonis’s personal growth, relationships, and rivalries. Creed (2015), Creed II (2018), and Creed III (2023) combine intense boxing drama with character-driven storytelling, with Michael B. Jordan leading as both star and director of the latest installment. The series is praised for bringing new energy to the Rocky legacy, with further sequels and spin-offs under consideration.
- Created by
- Ryan Coogler
- Video Game(s)
- Creed: Rise to Glory
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