Michael B. Jordan Confirms More Movies In The Works For His Best Franchise
Michael B. Jordan has said that there will be a Creed IV and more
The legacy of Rocky Balboa will live on if Michael B. Jordan, star of the franchise spin-off Creed, has anything to say about it. Asked by IGN about any further sequels after the upcoming Creed III, the actor confirmed that not only will there be a fourth installment, but that he wanted to develop further spin-offs to what he called “the Creed-verse.” He is making his directorial debut with the new movie, making it entirely possible that he can bring this dream to fruition.
The set of movies following Michael B. Jordan’s character, Adonis “Donnie” Creed, are themselves spun off from the Rocky movies starring Sylvester Stallone. Rocky Balboa himself is Donnie’s trainer in the first two Creed movies, but the superstar that made the franchise famous will not be appearing in Creed III, making it the first in Rocky’s universe to not feature Rocky himself. The character appeared in six self-titled films as well as the first two Creed films.
The story behind Rocky Balboa, Apollo Creed, and Adonis Creed begins with the very first Rocky movie, in which Rocky trains to beat reigning champion Creed in the boxing ring. During the second film, Rocky and Apollo become good friends, and the events of the third movie when Apollo is killed in the ring tie both Rocky’s fate and that of Creed II villain Viktor Draco to Donnie, even though he doesn’t know it yet. Michael B. Jordan made his debut as Donnie Creed in 2015, with the character seeking Rocky to train him when his own father’s trainer rejects him.
In this way, the Rocky franchise has passed the torch to a fresh new character who has ties to the original franchise, and Michael B. Jordan is looking to expand on that universe as Donnie Creed. In addition to the in-ring struggles the two boxers face in the movies about them are the personal struggles they must also face, and Creed III continues that tradition with a plot that centers on an old friend of Donnie’s, played by Jonathan Majors, who is seeking to prove himself as a boxer after a long stint in prison. That the star is also directing the film is another way the torch is being passed from Sylvester Stallone to Michael B. Jordan.
Knowing that Michael B. Jordan is so enthusiastic about making new Creed movies that he is willing to produce and direct the franchise bodes well for fans, especially as Sylvester Stallone doesn’t seem to be returning to his role as Rocky. The franchise might have started with the famous Philadelphia boxer, but his protegé seems to be ready to fill his shoes and carry the story into the next generation for some time to come.
