It’s time to step back into the ring with Adonis “Donnie” Creed as he faces his most dangerous opponent yet: an angry AF Jonathan Majors. Luckily, we don’t have to wait for the bell, as Creed III is in cinemas now.
We thought we’d seen the last of underdog-turned-heavyweight-champion Rocky Balboa in, well, Rocky Balboa, but 2015’s Creed reinvigorated the legendary boxing series. Co-written and directed by Black Panther’s Ryan Coogler, the film introduced us to a new nascent champ: Michael B. Jordan as Adonis, illegitimate son of heavyweight champion Apollo Creed. Wanting to live up to his father’s legacy in the ring, Donny recruited the ageing Rocky to train him, and the result is one of the best sports films ever made.
Having battered Ivan Drago’s kid senseless in Creed II, Donny’s now facing a demon from his own past: former friend Damian “Dame” Anderson (Majors). He is out on the street after a long stretch in prison and determined to take everything Donny has—both inside the ring and out.
If that reminds you of 1983’s Rocky III, wherein Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky faced Mr T’s younger, meaner, and hungrier challenger, you’re not alone. But there’s a personal element in play here, as Dame went to jail in the first place for a crime Donny was involved in.
Michael B. Jordan is both in front of and behind the camera on Creed III, making his feature directing debut, while Creed director Ryan Coogler produces and has a story credit. Familiar faces returning include Tessa Thompson as Bianca, Donnie’s love interest, Phylicia Rashad as his adoptive mother, Mary Ann, and Wood Harris as boxing trainer Little Duke.
Given Stallone’s not in this one, Creed III will determine whether Donny’s story can stand on its own two feet without Rocky on mentor duties. Given the weight of legacy has been Creed’s defining theme, we have faith, but there’s only one way to find out. Ding ding…
