Directed by Steven Caple Jr., and written by Sylvester Stallone and Cheo Hodari Coker, Michael B. Jordan returns as Adonis Johnson, son of Apollo Creed, in “Creed II” to continue his training under Rocky Balboa. This time, however, it’s for a brutal fight against Vitor Drago, played by Florian Munteanu, the son of Ivan Drago from the original “Rocky” movies. Tessa Thompson also returns as Adonis’ love interest, Bianca.
If you’re familiar with the “Rocky” films, you’ll know that Ivan Drago was responsible for the death of Adonis’ father, Apollo (Carl Weathers) in “Rocky II.” That tension seems to be the main focus of this film, which was evident from both this and the first trailer for “Creed II.”
In the first trailer, we hear Mary Anne, Adonis’ mother played by Phylicia Rashad, say “don’t pretend this is about your father” after Adonis says he’s trying to rewrite history. Will his pride get the best of him or will his determination to avenge his father overcome?
We will find out on November 21, 2018.
Here are the official “Creed II” synopsis and the new trailer:
“Life has become a balancing act for Adonis Creed. Between personal obligations and training for his next big fight, he is up against the challenge of his life. Facing an opponent with ties to his family’s past only intensifies his impending battle in the ring. Rocky Balboa is there by his side through it all and, together, Rocky and Adonis will confront their shared legacy, question what’s worth fighting for, and discover that nothing’s more important than family. Creed II is about going back to basics to rediscover what made you a champion in the first place, and remembering that, no matter where you go, you can’t escape your history.”
Director Ryan Coogler obviously went on to do “Black Panther” instead of the “Creed” sequel, which considering the insane career lift, was the right thing to do, but he picked Caple Jr. himself (known for “The Land” and and directing on the sitcom “Grown-ish“), so hopefully, “Creed II” is in good hands.