The Creed series continues Rocky’s legacy in the cinema. The fact that Sylvester Stallone’s boxer is missing from part 3 does not bother at all. Rather, it shows how much the series has developed.
Whoever wants to successfully bring a film series back to the cinema must not forget the stars of the original. We’ve seen this with numerous popular franchises in recent years, from Star Wars to Jurassic World to Scream, where the return of so-called legacy characters has even been negotiated on a meta level. One of the most successful examples of this trend: Rocky.
The first film about the boxer played by Sylvester Stallone was released in 1976 and has been followed by five sequels, all with the name Rocky in the title. When Stallone hit the big screen again in 2015 as Rocky Balboa after a nine-year hiatus, however, he took a step back and took on the mentor role for the young Adonis Creed – two generations in one movie.
The Creed films don’t need Rocky to survive
Just as Han Solo shows new Star Wars hero:ins the vastness of the galaxy in Star Wars 7: The Force Awakens, Rocky trains the son of his one-time rival and later friend Apollo Creed. The seventh film in the boxing universe was therefore titled Creed and introduced us to a new main character in Michael B. Jordan’s Adonis Creed, who now carries the franchise on his shoulders alone.
After saying goodbye to Stallone with Creed II, he doesn’t show up in Creed III. What sounds like a logical step is anything but a given in contemporary Hollywood cinema. Even dead characters are regularly brought back. Luke Skywalker is the best example. Sometimes he appears as a Force ghost, sometimes as a digitally rejuvenated version in The Mandalorian. Creed III has no need for such tricks with Rocky.
Not even in the ring is Adonis dependent on the boxing legend’s help. The new film stands completely on its own two feet. This is made clear, among other things, by the fact that its leading actor has also taken over the direction – a big step with tradition. Michael B. Jordan, like Stallone once did, makes his mark as the creative force behind the series, while independently expanding Apollo’s story.
Creed 3 is the exact opposite of Jurassic World 3
Legacyquels are popularly used to freshen up dusty brands. The reference to the original doesn’t just promise nostalgia. It guarantees narrative continuity, which has been an important selling point for keeping fans loyal to a series in the long term since the closely linked Marvel films. Few franchises, however, actually manage to break away from their creator after a successful reintroduction.
This emancipation is an important step. Because if it doesn’t happen, you quickly end up in a dead end, as the Jurassic franchise had to painfully experience. After the new characters there, Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), failed to ignite with audiences, the original cast (Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum) gradually returned.
How much legacy is too much? Jurassic World 3: A New Age answered that question painfully. Creed, on the other hand, escaped the Rocky impasse with flying colours. If nothing else, Boxer got a worthy conclusion: He was able to make up with his son and prepare Adonis for the challenges in the ring. Rocky can retire satisfied.
Creed can be a real Rocky movie even without Rocky
While the trademark dispute is a key reason why Rocky doesn’t appear in Creed III. At no point, however, does the sequel feel like it has had to make serious artistic compromises because of it. Rather, Jordan expands on his own Creed mythology, such as through the family focus and a character from Adonis’ past: Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors).
Michael B. Jordan
No nostalgia contortions, no spasmodic look back: it’s almost amazing how easy it is for Jordan to continue Rocky’s legacy without Rocky. Creed III comes across as a straightforward boxing drama, freed from all legacy ballast. This gives the story and characters a pleasant amount of space to develop and grow. Major’s character in particular becomes a strong presence within two hours.
At the same time, Creed III continues to carry the Rocky DNA. Both thematically and on a cinematic level, there are familiar elements that the Rocky films are famous for, from the training montages to the conflict between family and career. Jordan, however, never uses the template to the detriment of his own interests. It serves as a foundation on which he can build something new.
