Michael B. Jordan, Amazon and MGM are planning a Creed-Verse following the success of Creed III, but what will it entail?
Let’s get ready to rumble! Everybody loves a properly done sports movie which can show epic comeback stories and moments that make audiences cheer as if they’re watching the sport live. No set of movies has done this better than the Rocky franchise and the continuation into the Creed films has been seamless to say the least. Michael B. Jordan has taken on the mantle like no other actor could and the success of the recently released Creed III seems to be evidence that audiences agree. With the third installment (ninth overall) raking in nearly $200 million dollars at the box office, the franchise has become more popular and profitable than ever – and MBJ plans to keep building it even further, with Amazon and MGM recent announcing a “Creed-Verse”.
However, Jordan hasn’t given any explicit details about what that future may hold, simply implying that the projects could be bigger and more complex than just a simple sequel. So, keeping that in mind, let’s take a look into what some of those future projects could be.
Anime Series
Believe it or not, this idea may come to fruition much sooner than some might think. Loyal fans of MBJ will know that he is a massive anime fan, even stating in an interview that his directing style for Creed III was largely influenced by anime shows such as Naruto and Drangonball: Z. Not only does Jordan’s love for anime as a fan make this a possibility, but Jordan has had several prominent roles as a voice actor for anime shows/movies, including the series Gen: Lock, as well as voicing Cyborg in Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox.
So, what exactly could an anime Rocky/Creed series be about? Well, it could simply be a continuation of the franchise in animated-form, but that seems a little too unnecessary (especially since more theatrical sequels are a large possibility). Instead, the anime series could be something related to the MCU’s What If…? show (which Jordan lent his voice too for his role of Kilmonger) in which each episode could explore a different scenario with characters from the Rocky/Creed franchise. What if Rocky had won the first fight against Apollo? Or what if he had ultimately lost to Clubber Lang again at the end of Rocky III? What if Drago had never killed Apollo? With nine movies worth of material, it’s easy to see how an anime series could explore so many different possibilities.
Live-Action Series
Even if the franchise doesn’t expand into anime, it could still very easily make the transition to the little screen for a live-action series instead. Just like an anime series, the live-action series could potentially just pick right up where Creed III left off and be a proper sequel, but that still seems too easy when future films seem imminent. Instead, a live-action series could take the time to further expand into characters or places that fans already know about, but haven’t quite gotten the limelight that they deserve.
One example could be a series about the Delphi Boxing Academy, the gym that Donnie runs in Creed III and the home gym of his father, Apollo. Such a series could allow the franchise to still be driven by the boxing element but allow it step away from the Rocky/Creed narrative and give other boxers (actors) the spotlight for a change. It would also give Tony “Little Duke” Evers (played by Wood Harris) the chance to be a main character in the series rather than a secondary one.
Amara Creed Sequel
One of the most popular and logical ways to keep the franchise going and still allow it to keep the Creed title would be a sequel starring Donnie’s daughter, Amara. In the most recent film, Amara is seen as a seven year-old girl who not only isn’t afraid to stand up for herself but also takes a keen interest in her father’s boxing career. By the end of the movie, Donnie notices how interested Amara truly is in the sport and it perfectly sets up how she could be the one to keep the Rocky/Creed dynasty going.
Not only would these be logical from a story point of view, but the addition of Amara’s character being deaf could have a huge cultural impact in terms of representation. It would assuredly make for some incredible POV sequences watching a deaf-fighter in the ring, knowing that she can’t hear the people in her corner in the middle of a round. It would add major hurdles to the character that she would undoubtedly be able to overcome, just like her mother and father.
Drago Spin-Off
While the projects listed above are really just speculation, this particular project is the only one that is known to be in some sort of development. Despite Viktor Drago’s villainous role in Creed II, he makes a surprise return in Creed III and has a much bigger role to play than just a minor cameo, aiding Donnie in his journey to taking back the title and getting attacked by one of Damien’s men which results in him losing his own chance at the title. Because of his new role in the most recent film, it has been speculated that the Drago spin-off movie could be some sort of revenge story about Drago getting back at Damien for attacking him.
That said, there have been conflicting reports that state that a revenge story probably isn’t in the cards for the Drago spinoff, especially thanks to Viktor’s character development from Creed II to Creed III. Instead, rumors suggest that the Drago spinoff could be a potential prequel series, centered around Viktor (or potentially Ivan’s) story and how they came to be the boxers that they were before they ever stepped foot in the ring with Rocky or Donnie.
Sylvester Stallone’s Return
This is the one all hardcore Rocky fans are hoping for, and probably a lot of Creed fans too. Sylvester Stallone has been outspoken about wanting to get back some rights to the character, and he wasn’t in Creed III. Yet, the character is still alive and back in February Sly did post some notes about a treatment he had for a new Rocky film. Could Jordan smooth things out and bring Sly back into the folks? It would be nice, that’s for sure as everything in the Creed/ Rocky universe comes from Stallone’s original characters and ideas. It is what it is.
Regardless of what the spinoff will ultimately be about, it’s conclusive to say that the Rocky/Creed franchise is nowhere near finished and they have laid the groundwork for plenty of future projects. The question isn’t what project will fans get in the future – it’s how many?