Adonis Creed’s return to the ring will have to wait a little longer. Creed 3 was originally slated to hit theaters on November 23, 2022, but its release has now been pushed back to March 3, 2023.
In addition to starring in Creed 3, Michael B. Jordan is also directing the film in his feature filmmaking debut. Tessa Thompson (Thor: Love and Thunder) returns as Bianca Taylor alongside Phylicia Rashad (Tick, Tick… Boom!) as Mary Anne. Jonathan Majors (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania) has also joined the cast as Anderson Dame, said to be Creed’s adversary. Sylvester Stallone announced that he wouldn’t be returning for the film, which will make it the first installment of the franchise not to include Rocky Balboa.
Plot details are being kept under wraps, but Keenan Coogler (Space Jam: A New Legacy) and Zach Baylin (King Richard) wrote the screenplay for Creed 3 based on a story by Ryan Coogler, who directed and co-write the original Creed. The film was shot using IMAX cameras, with production beginning early this year and wrapping up just months ago. Michael B. Jordan has said that “directing has always been an aspiration” and that “this franchise and in particular the themes of Creed III are deeply personal to me. I look forward to sharing the next chapter of Adonis Creed’s story with the awesome responsibility of being its director and namesake.” Although it’s a shame that the release of Creed 3 has been pushed back, I’m sure the wait will be worth it.
Speaking of Creed, it was also revealed today that another spinoff is in the works, this time focusing on Dolph Lundgren’s Ivan Drago. Robert Lawton is attached to write the spinoff after impressing MGM executives with his spec script about the making of the first Rocky movie.