If you want to successfully bring a film series back to the cinema, you can Stars of the original do not forget. We’ve seen this in numerous popular franchises over the past few years, from Star Wars to Jurassic World to Scream, where the return of so-called legacy characters was even negotiated at the meta level. One of the most successful examples of this trend: Rocky.
The first film about the boxer played by Sylvester Stallone was released in 1976 and has led to five sequels, all of which had the name Rocky in the title. However, when Stallone returned to the big screen as Rocky Balboa in 2015 after a nine-year hiatus, he took a step back and mentored young Adonis Creed – two generations in one film.
The Creed movies don’t need Rocky to survive
Just as Han Solo shows new Star Wars heroes the vastness of the galaxy in Star Wars 7: The Force Awakens, Rocky trains the son of his one-time rival and later friend Apollo Creed. The seventh film from the boxing universe was therefore given the title Creed and introduced us to Michael B. Jordan’s Adonis Creed, a new main character that the franchise has since carries alone on her shoulders.
You can watch the trailer for Creed III here:
Creed III – Trailer 2 (German) HD
After Stallone said goodbye with Creed II, he does not appear in Creed III. What sounds like a logical step is anything but self-evident in contemporary Hollywood cinema. Even dead figures are regularly brought back. Luke Skywalker is the prime example. Sometimes he appears as a force spirit, sometimes as a digitally rejuvenated version in The Mandalorian. Creed III doesn’t need such tricks with Rocky.
Adonis doesn’t even need the help of the boxing legend in the ring. The new movie stands completely on its own two feet. This is made clear, among other things, by the fact that its main actor has also taken over the direction – a big step with tradition. Like Stallone, Michael B. Jordan continues to be the creative force behind the series as he independently builds Apollo’s story.
Creed 3 is the exact opposite of Jurassic World 3
Legacyquels are often used to refresh outdated brands. The reference to the original not only promises nostalgia. You guaranteed narrative continuity, which has been an important selling point since the closely linked Marvel films, in order to bind fans to a series in the long term. However, few franchises actually succeed in breaking away from their founder after a successful reintroduction.
Warner Bros.
Sylvester Stallone and Michael B Jordan in Creed II
This emancipation is an important step. Because if it doesn’t happen, you quickly end up in a dead end, as the Jurassic franchise had to learn the hard way. After the new characters, Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), did not ignite with the audience, the original cast (Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum) gradually returned.
How much legacy is too much? Jurassic World 3: A New Age answered that question in a painful way. Creed in turn is escaped from the Rocky impasse with flying colors. Last but not least, the boxer received a worthy conclusion: he was able to get along with his son and prepare Adonis for the challenges in the ring. Rocky can retire contentedly.
Creed can be a real Rocky movie without Rocky
The dispute over trademark rights is a key reason why Rocky doesn’t appear in Creed III. At no time does the sequel feel as if it had to make serious artistic compromises. Rather, Jordan builds on his own Creed mythology, such as through the family focus and a character from Adonis’ past: Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors).
Warner Bros.
Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed in Creed III
No nostalgia contortions, no spasmodic look back: It’s almost amazing how easy it is for Jordan to continue Rocky’s legacy without Rocky. Creed III comes as a straight-forward boxed drama freed from all legacy ballast. This gives the story and the characters plenty of room to unfold and grow. Major’s character in particular becomes a strong presence within two hours.
At the same time, Creed III still carries the Rocky DNA. Both thematically and cinematically, there are familiar elements that the Rocky films are famous for, from the training montages to the conflict between family and career. However, Jordan never uses the template to the detriment of his own interests. It serves as a foundation on which to build something new.
In three films, the Rocky series has turned into Creed
From Philadelphia to Los Angeles: the change in the main setting alone makes the transformation clear. However, the father of the franchise has not been forgotten. Rocky lives on in pictures, mentions and memories. Without him, Adonis would not be in the ring and Creed would not exist in the cinema. After three offshoots, which were also successful at the box office, the character no longer needs to be honored with reverence.
At the end of the Creed trilogy, we can very well observe the opposite movement of Jurassic World. Where dino-taming has come full circle so tightly that there’s no longer any need for new movies, Creed is now completely free. The baton was handed over. The series has completely shed its skin. In three films, Rocky Creed has become and now all doors are open to the boxing universe.
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