Summary
Creed 4’sannouncement suggests the boxing franchise will continue its positive trajectory, but there’s one other upcomingRockymovie that I’m even more excited about. AfterCreed 4was confirmedtoward the end of 2023, all the buzz around theRockysaga seemed to be about Adonis' next chapter, especially afterCreed 3’s ending. The boxer appeared to hang up his gloves for good, having won his grudge match against his childhood friend, suggesting Adonis' story was coming to a close. However, the confirmation of a sequel makes me even more interested in seeing where things go next.
The next installment may not follow Jordan’s character directly, but instead have him be a mentor figure to his daughter or another up-and-coming fighter. Given Adonis' career finished on a perfect note and doesn’t have too many directions to go, optingnot to have Jordan as the lead inCreed 4may be a wise decision. It would avoid ruiningCreed 3’s conclusion and allow someone else to take center stage, but this makes it hard for me to get too invested in the next outing. In contrast, another confirmedRockyspinoff has me filled with anticipation for its release.
Creed 4 Will Likely Break A 38-Year-Old Rocky Franchise Record If It Continues This Sequel Trend
Creed 4 is in development with Michael B. Jordan as director, and if it follows this Rocky franchise trend, it could be the biggest outing yet.
Creed 4 Will Be Great, But I Can’t Wait For Drago’s Spinoff
The Drago Spinoff Will Reinvent The Rocky Franchise, Just Like Creed Did
While I’m still looking forward to seeing whereCreed 4takes its story and have full confidence it will succeed, I’m even more excited about Drago’s spinoff.Dolph Lundgren has been a part of theRockyfranchise for nearly four decades, and while he started the series as a cruel and menacing antagonist, he has slowly become more sympathetic over the years. AlthoughIvan Drago didn’t appear inCreed 3, he did play a pivotal role in the second film and has a long-standing history in the boxing franchise as a whole, making his own spinoff long overdue.
Alongside his son Viktor, Ivan has a lot of potential in a leading role and could offer a slightly darker narrative. While both theRockyandCreedmovies have had their fair share of tragedy, neither protagonist is overly morally complex. They are both underdogs and honorable boxers who only fight dirty when necessary, whereas Drago’s past makes him much more questionable. Thankfully, seeing Ivan and his son in a more heroic role and having their own troubles to overcome sounds like the sort of freshRockystory I’ve been waiting for, and it has plenty of potential to succeed.
Rocky’s Franchise Plans Have Likely Changed
The Jonathan Majors Situation Will Make Drago’s Spinoff Even More Important
Although the Drago spinoff seems to have been in the works for a while, it unintentionally became a lot more important as theRockyfranchise likely changed its plans. It’s impossible to know for sure which direction the franchise was heading in afterCreed 3, but given Jonathan Majors' Damien played a pivotal role in the movie, it seems likely he would have been a big part of the franchise heading forward.Damien was built up to be the next big thing inCreed 3, but after Jonathan Majors' controversy, it seems unlikely the actor will return.
The Drago family has enough history to appeal to long-term viewers, meaning Viktor could become a major player while the mainCreedmovies work on building a new star of their own.
Majors was found guilty of one count of assault in the third degree and one count of harassment in the second degree, meaning his character’s plans have likely been scrapped, forcing the franchise to pivot. While this could have an impact onCreed 4, there are plenty of ways the series can adapt and move on from Damien, but this makes establishing someone else more important, and the responsibility could fall onto the Drago spinoff. The Drago family has enough history to appeal to long-term viewers, meaning Viktor could become a major player while the mainCreedmovies work on building a new star of their own.
Rocky
The Rocky franchise follows boxer Rocky Balboa’s rise from underdog to champion, and later, Adonis Creed’s journey to honor his father, Apollo Creed. The films chronicle Rocky’s several rises and falls, and both it and the Creed series deal with their titular character’s internal and external struggles both in the ring and out.
Based on howCreed 3ended, I imagine the idea was to make Damien a central character in the future and potentially build thefuture of theCreedfranchise around Majors. However, with plans presumably changing,Dragocould become more than a one-off movie and help give theRockyuniverse more room to grow.
Creed’s Success Proves Drago Can Have His Own Spinoff Series
Creed Has Proven Rocky Can Continue For Years Through Spinoffs
Looking at how successful theCreedmovies have become, it’s clear Drago is capable of carrying his own spinoff series. Although Apollo Creed was a massive character inRocky, I never could have imagined his son being the character to take the franchise forward. However, Adonis has been a compelling protagonist throughout each film, and bringing Sylvester Stallone into the spinoffs helped it stand on its own. TheCreedseries is incredibly easy to get into, and you don’t need to watch theRockymovies to enjoy it, provingDragoalso has the potential to become its own success story.
Florian Munteanu hinted at more news aboutDragocoming in 2025.
The movie may have a harder time distinguishing itself fromRockyandCreedgiven Ivan plays a big role in both, butthere is no reason the Drago spinoff can’t turn into something bigger.Ivan deserves a run as the protagonist, but the series could continue without him through his son Viktor, as Florian Munteanu has a lot of acting potential. WithCreed 4likely to continueRocky’s momentum and make the universe even bigger, I’m desperate to see what the Drago spinoff has in store, and I think it could be one of the franchise’s most exciting projects yet.
Creed
Creed is a spin-off/continuation of the boxing drama franchise Rocky. Set years after the original Rocky series, Creed follows Adonis Johnson, the estranged son of Apollo Creed, on a journey to Philadelphia to find his father’s friend/rival, Rocky Balboa. Now training to follow in his father’s footsteps, Creed fights to become the best boxer in the world.
