Creed III is happening. But it's easy to forget fans of Rocky were actually pleasantly surprised with the most contemporary spin-off of its franchise: Creed. The 2015 movie starring Michael B Jordan as the eponymous young boxer was highly rated by critics and fans, and performed well at the box office.
Given its birth franchise consists of six films itself, that Creed went on to get a follow-up, Creed II, was unsurprising. What was surprising, however, was that it was set up as the final chapter of Rocky's story, the mantle passing on to Adonis Creed himself.
Now that has been confirmed, with Sylvester Stallone announcing that he would not reprise his role in the third Creed movie, also unsurprisingly titled, Creed III. Here's what we know about the film so far.
Creed 3 release date: When will Creed 3 be out in cinemas?
The third instalment is currently scheduled for a November 23, 2022 release date, banking on the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in the USA. So far, that date seems fairly set in stone, but with the constant changes to cinema schedules happening recently, never say never.
Creed 3 cast: Who is returning for Creed 3?
As we have already mentioned, Sylvester Stallone is not returning as Rocky in the third Creed movie. Instead, he's focussing on another addition to the Rocky franchise, as well as a Rocky prequel series.
Michael B Jordan is reprising his role as Adonis Creed, and excitingly is also taking on a major role behind the scenes as the director. He said: "Directing has always been an aspiration, but the timing had to be right.
"Creed III is that moment — a time in my life where I've grown more sure of who I am, holding agency in my own story, maturing personally, growing professionally, and learning from the greats like Ryan Coogler, most recently Denzel Washington, and other top tier directors I respect.
"All of which sets the table for this moment. 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." (Via Deadline.)
Tessa Thompson (Marvel's Thor) will likely reprise her role as Bianca, Adonis' girlfriend.
As for anyone else returning, there's no news yet. Stallone requested that if Creed III were to feature the son of Rocky III villain Clubber Lang, that he be played by wrestler Deontay Wilder.
Zach Baylin (who wrote Will Smith's King Richard movie) has been hired to pen the script for Creed III.
Creed 3 plot: What will Creed 3 be about?
If Creed III does indeed feature Lang's son as the main antagonist, we could end up with a movie that feels a lot like Creed II. But with a talented team behind it, there's always a chance it could feel fresh.
We'd suspect a change of scenery, as at the end of Creed II, Adonis and Bianca had relocated to Los Angeles, California with their baby daughter, Amara. Beyond this speculation, there are no confirmed plot details as of yet, but keep your eyes on this space for when they are announced.
Creed 3 trailer: When can we expect Creed 3 trailer online?
Your guess is as good as ours. As of April 2021, the movie has been shooting in New York City — which does confuse the whole Los Angeles move, but who knows what cinema magic they'll work.
It will be a fair few months before any footage is released. For now, you can watch Creed and Creed II on Amazon Prime Video.
Creed III will be out in cinemas on November 23, 2022.
![Rocky: The Undisputed Collection [DVD]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1617895091-51MbJ5zz2OL.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=320%3A%2A "Rocky: The Undisputed Collection [DVD]")
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