The first threeCreedmovies managed to breathe new life into theRockyuniverse, but there is one specific aspect of the Rocky franchise thattheCreedfranchisewould do well to avoid. Ryan Coogler’s 2015 return to theRockyfranchise was universally celebrated as one of the best boxing movies ever, with Sylvester Stallone’s return as an aging Rocky Balboa earning him an Oscar nomination. It took the underdog angle that made the originalRockymovie so memorable in a different direction, introducingMichael B. Jordan’s Adonis Creedas a well-developed and easy-to-root-for protagonist.
Steven Caple, Jr.‘sCreed IIkept up the momentum, delivering a memorable story that brought Adonis Creed to his lowest while simultaneously revisiting the most popular elements of the iconicRocky IV, resulting in a powerful and entertaining final fight. Michael B. Jordan took the reins of the series forCreed III, using a time jump to further develop Adonis Creed’s character and introduce a more personal story to the franchise. With three great movies already released andJordan at least intending to makeCreed IV, the franchise is swiftly approaching aRockyrecord that it should avoid.
Creed 4: Confirmation & Everything We Know So Far
With Michael B. Jordan expressing interest in expanding the franchise and making Creed 4, here’s everything we know so far.
Creed Doesn’t Need To Have As Many Movies As Rocky
The Creed Movies Have Been Excellent So Far
With Adonis Creed already at the end of his long and storied career during the events ofCreed III, it’s widely theorized that he will take on the role of trainer or mentor inCreed IV.It could potentially be for his daughter Amara, who already showed an interest in boxing like her father. Other candidates include Felix Chavez, the impressive Mexican fighter that Adonis was training in Creed III, or Viktor Drago, who was set to be Chavez’s opponent before he was sabotaged by Damian Anderson.
Adonis’ Career Means Creed 4 Will Run Into The Same Problem That Most Rocky Sequels Faced
Creed IV runs the risk of following a similar problematic narrative path as the Rocky franchise, and it’s related to Creed’s role in the boxing world.
Regardless of who his pupil winds up being,it seems clear that Adonis is headed for the mentor role in the next movie. While there is definitely value in having Adonis lead the franchise into a new chapter, it would be a mistake to keep the focus on his character for much longer. TheCreedfranchise should not even attempt to match or exceed the six-film progression of theRockyfranchise, and even if the baton is passed to his daughter Amara to keep the “Creed” title in the movie series, another trilogy is the farthest it should go.
Rocky’s Multiple Sequels Did More Harm Than Good To The Franchise
Each Has Positive Elements, But Nothing Compared To The Original
While the success and acclaim of the originalRockymade a sequel inevitable, the franchise was retroactively hurt by the latter sequels.Rocky IIandRocky IIIweren’t close to the quality of the original movie, but both had some great elements and at least furthered the story of Rocky Balboa in a meaningful way.After that, the franchise took a hard left turn towards mediocrity, with two bad sequels before a late, yet still unnecessary rejuvenation withRocky Balboa.
1976
93%
69%
1979
70%
82%
1982
65%
74%
1985
39%
79%
1990
32%
31%
2006
78%
76%
2015
95%
89%
2018
83%
80%
2023
Rocky IVmight have a bunch of memorable moments related to Dolph Lundgren’s Ivan Drago, and it was a massively important movie in the context of theCreedfranchise, but the movie itself is borderline silly in its boxing action, and plays like a retread of its predecessors.Rocky Vis an outright bad movie that actively hurt the legacy of the franchise, as it was a terrible attempt at recapturing the working man, underdog vibe of the original. If theCreedfranchise goes much longer,it also runs the risk of damaging the legacy of the first three great movies.
