Creed III: A Turning Point in the Franchise
A Rocky movie, without Rocky Balboa? It sounds like a bad idea. Rocky Balboa is an iconic character. One who has almost literally crossed over into the real world. A mainstay of pop culture for over 40 years. As a franchise it owns the sports subgenre, in terms of recognition and durability. Rocky is to boxing movies what Jaws is to shark movies, no matter how good or bad the movie is if there is a shark, your mind thinks of Jaws. Boxing movies are filled with homages and rip offs from Rocky, because at this point, in American cinema, Rocky is boxing. So when news broke that Michael B. Jordan was taking Creed III (his directorial debut) in a different direction and leaving out Rocky Balboa altogether, it didn’t feel right. Initially it was disappointment, which then turned into a bit of skepticism. Not that Creed III was destined for failure, because the first two films are quite good, but a Rocky movie with no Rocky feels wrong.
Both Creed and Creed II are not solely Rocky movies in the traditional sense of leading man and top billing. But make no mistake, both are Rocky movies. Even as a supporting character Rocky is still Rocky. While both films are great, barring Ryan Coogler’s (director of Creed) phenomenal one shot sequence of a two round boxing match, Rocky and subsequently, Sylvester Stallone are the best parts of those films. Also, the connection in the series is clear. The periphery may be different but the core is the same. Which is why the decision to leave out Balboa was so jarring. The team behind Creed III (which includes the aforementioned Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler) have different intentions completely. Instead of continuing a successful and iconic franchise, with a different tone, they aimed to create a separate legacy for the Creed films. One that could one day stand beside Rocky, instead of in its shadow. And that is exactly what they did.
Not to say that the previous Creed films lack a distinct style and tone, separate from the Rocky films, because they do. Creed’s hip-hop feel and ability to fold it into boxing in a seamless manner is a differentiator from not just Rocky movies but most boxing movies. The tapestry of black and brown faces that enumerate the cast fills in the world of Rocky in a dynamic way. It also updates it, which in part allows for the success of the films. Even with boxing as a sport being far from its popularity in the 70s and 80s, Creed is very much of this time period. That style and tone are not only present in Creed III but it’s leaned into even further. Weaving in deeper themes, ones tied more to the characters blackness and that speak to more pertinent ideas.
Adonis Creed as more of an athlete turned mogul, than just a successful boxer, is an important turn for that character. Add in the success of his wife Bianca (Tessa Thompson), who stretches far past the Philadelphia club residences when we met her, and we have our own fictional Jay-Z and Beyonce. What success means and looks like is different for the Creed family and how this film explores that is interesting. It creates its own separate challenges that are quite different from Rocky and how he’s gone about his career.
Which brings us back to the most pivotal decision in Creed III. Rocky Balboa (as stated earlier) takes up a lot of air in the room. So his removal leaves a lot of space for other characters to step forward. Creed III utilizes that opportunity to great effect. The aforementioned Tessa Thompson is an incredible talent that has been underutilized in past films and this film is much better for her character’s expansion. Wood Harris (Duke) is one of the most underrated actors working. He gets a bit more to do and the film is better for it. The biggest filler of the Balboa void is Jonathan Majors. Stepping in as this film's antagonist, Damian Anderson. Majors has all the gravitas and ability to fill a void left by any actor, and does the most of anyone to cover some of the flaws in the film. He’s fully believable, even if his rise to stardom isn’t, he’s menacing and has just enough charm that you aren’t fully against him. Damian becomes the perfect antagonist for this film, because not only does he drive the tension and intrigue for Creed III, he goes a long way in establishing the direction for this franchise.
Everything about Damian’s storyline is perfect for this film because it is unique, true and authentic to the black experience in America. This is an avenue that Adonis can’t really explore, and it’s one that shines a light on an important part of this country. It’s impossible to be fully against Damian because we understand that his time in prison took everything away from him. It left him in a dire and desperate position that we’ve often seen in film, but mostly void of the hope that Creed III brings to it. Adonis is in a position to help and their friendship, and relationship to the situation that sent Damian to prison (and the unwritten rules that come with that) create all the tension this film needs.
This fight is so complicated and complex, that you find yourself struggling on who to pull for. That complexity comes from a dynamic that is hard to explain and has tripped up many athletes. Adonis “got out”. He found the success that most in his position don’t even dare to dream towards. When that happens how do you help those you came up with? What’s the obligation to help a childhood friend who doesn’t and can’t see the world the way you do? What responsibility do you hold for his situation? These are heavy and complex themes that young black Americans wrestle with all throughout their lives. Creed III is able to explore this because of the void left by Rocky Balboa.
Not only did Stallone’s absence create more opportunity to expand this franchise it allowed it to expand in a wholly unique way. Removing Rocky, removes the last significant white character from the story. While it's not necessary to remove white people to tell black stories, in this instance it's important to remove that white character. Rocky wouldn’t understand Adonis’s desire to help Damian and then his subsequent need to fight him. Duke and Bianca do, which make their scenes around this conflict so powerful. No explanation is needed, as soon as Damian steps in the gym, Duke knows exactly what Adonis is doing. He’s also able to discern Damian's intentions, which creates an interesting conflict between him and Adonis. So Duke is in a better and more effective position across from Adonis, than Rocky would be.
The same is true for Adonis and Bianca’s conversation in the bedroom, one of the better scenes in the entire film. It's emotionally cathartic for Adonis because his inability to open up is a plot point throughout. Also, and maybe even more effectively, it establishes why he needs to fight Damian. The decision to have Bianca be the driving, supportive, voice behind this decision is a brilliant one. Her involvement provides clarity to the situation, both emotionally and practically. In a similar way to Duke, Bianca understands what Adonis is trying to do and more importantly what he is wrestling with. It’s an innate understanding of a situation that really only comes from experience. In the hands of this character (and actress) it becomes a powerful scene.
Creed III didn’t just move on from Rocky Balboa himself, but the final vestiges of the Rocky plotlines are put aside as well. Creed and Creed II, for all of their cultural updating, are still mainly dealing with plotlines from previous Rocky movies. Creed III is in a different place almost entirely. I’m not sure if Rocky is mentioned at all in the film, and while Apollo Creed is mentioned (because it’s hard to avoid it when the name “Creed” is all over the place), he isn’t the focus of Adonis’s story. By removing all traces of Rocky films past (from a story standpoint) Creed III feels unlike anything to come before it. Standing alone in a way that no other Creed movie could. This created the space for some of all of its themes, characters and expansion of critical ideas in the franchise.
Is Creed III the best of the Creed movies? No, but it is arguably the most important. Now it appears that it can be its own franchise. Three great movies, a handful of great characters and no baggage for the future. Creed III places Creed next to Rocky, or at least on his way, as opposed to behind him. There is plenty of time for it to catch up because the future appears bright for this franchise. Michael B. Jordan did a great job behind the camera and could find himself cutting his directorial teeth on a big time franchise. He also left a lot of avenues for this franchise to explore going forward.
The Creed family and their success remains fascinating. Amara Creed (Mila Davis-Kent) gets a bigger role in this film and could find herself an even bigger part of future films. And no one would be mad to see more of any of the previous antagonists return, specifically Damian. Creed III stands as a turning point for this franchise. It marks a clear direction change and one that was handled beautifully. Wherever this franchise goes with its inevitable films, one thing will be clear, no longer are these simply Rocky remakes. Creed is its own franchise now, with all the potential to be just as great.
