The Rocky Balboa saga lasted six movies over 30 years before it seemed that Sylvester Stallone was ready to hang up his boxing gloves with the heartfelt farewell of Rocky Balboa. Then the unexpected happened. Director Ryan Coogler teamed with rising star Michael B. Jordan and breathed new life into the iconic boxing saga with Creed, following the life of young Adonis Creed, the son of Carl Weathers‘ Apollo Creed, in a simultaneous sequel and reboot that was a box office smash and earned Stallone an Oscar nomination for reprising Rocky once again. Once again, Michael B. Jordan will lace up his gloves and enter the ring as Adonis Creed in Creed II, which unleashed its first trailer this morning.
Creed II has Adonis entering the ring against Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu). Viktor is the son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), the brutal Russian boxer who killed Apollo Creed in the ring during the events of Rocky IV. It’s the biggest fight of young Adonis Creed’s life but one where the stakes are higher than ever, with the boxer becoming a father with Bianca (Tessa Thompson) and his adoptive mother (Phylicia Rashad) imploring Adonis not to battle the younger Drago. And in his corner, Rocky Balboa (Stallone) is still carrying the emotional scars of watching Adonis’ father die in his arms at the hands of Ivan Drago.
Creed revitalized an American classic and made it modern. Ryan Coogler, though, moved on to directed the super smash hit Black Panther, though he stayed on Creed II as an executive producer. Steven Caple, Jr. takes over directing duties and the father of Rocky Balboa himself Sylvester Stallone wrote the screenplay for the highly anticipated sequel. Creed II has all the promise to keep what Coogler started going or it could devolve into something resembling the weaker films in the Rocky saga, especially as it’s operating as a double sequel to both Creed and Rocky IV. Either way, we’re hoping that Michael B. Jordan can float like a butterfly and sting like a bee when Creed II lands in theaters on November 21, 2018.
The official synopsis for Creed II:
Life has become a balancing act for Adonis Creed. Between personal obligations and training for his next big fight, he is up against the challenge of his life. Facing an opponent with ties to his family’s past only intensifies his impending battle in the ring. Rocky Balboa is there by his side through it all and, together, Rocky and Adonis will confront their shared legacy, question what’s worth fighting for, and discover that nothing’s more important than family. Creed II is about going back to basics to rediscover what made you a champion in the first place, and remembering that, no matter where you go, you can’t escape your history.