Creed might already be a part of the Rocky franchise, but with the success of the new boxing movie comes comes the launch of a brand new series, too. Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that the first step towards building a franchise is typically to get to work on a sequel. That said, Creed's journey to the big screen was anything but orthodox. Instead of being a brain child of the Hollywood studios, the movie came from writer-director Ryan Coogler, who pitched it directly to Rocky himself, Sylvester Stallone. More of a passion project than get rich scheme, Creed was made without set plans for a follow-up, a rarity in the world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and The Hunger Games. So, will Creed get a sequel? If it does, here are nine things it needs to have.
While no official word has been said on the possibility of a Creed sequel, it seems almost certain that a Creed II is on the horizon. First and foremost, star Michael B. Jordan, who excelled as Apollo Creed's illegitimate son, Adonis, has said he would love to return to the role. "A character so rich as this, and the world he's in, I want to see what happens to him next and what he does," Jordan said in an interview with the Associated Press. "Especially the way it ends off, it's pretty cool. I think with success and time and circumstances, it would be exciting to come back and work with Sly [Stallone] and Tessa [Thompson] again." Keeping Jordan's statements in mind, here are nine things a Creed sequel needs to have.
1. Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, & Michael B. Jordan
With Jordan set on returning to Creed, it seems only natural that Stallone and Thompson, who co-starred as Bianca, Adonis' neighbor and love interest, would return as well. However, nothing is set in stone, and, while Stallone and Jordan might be integral to the franchise as Rocky and the new Creed, Thompson's Bianca is not. We've seen it before — the love interest, or "girlfriend" role gets replaced. Hopefully, that fate will escape Bianca, and she'll be back for a sequel.
2. Ryan Coogler Directing
Even if Jordan, Stallone and Thompson all return for a Creed sequel, there's no way a follow-up could live up to Creed without writer-director Ryan Coogler at the helm. Once sequels and studios become more involved in movie making, directors tend to be the first things to go — just look at The Hunger Games (2012) writer-director Gary Ross or the directors list of the Harry Potter franchise. While I'm sure a Creed II without Coogler would be just fine, it definitely would not be as good, and that would be a shame.
3. More Bianca
Words cannot express how much I loved the character of Bianca in Creed . Not only was she a great love interest for Adonis, she was also quickly established as being more than just girlfriend material. One major part of establishing Bianca's character separate from Adonis was incorporating her career as an aspiring musician with one brief performance and a few songs featured in the film. If Thompson reprises her role in Creed II, it would be foolish not to let her sing again.
4. A Mary Anne Creed And Rocky Reunion
Mary Anne Creed and Rocky Balboa are old friends, but it made sense that they never interacted in Creed, what with Mary Anne's adamant disapproval of Adonis' boxing career. If Creed does get a sequel, it would be nice to see these old pals reunite to support Adonis in the ring.
5. Adrian's
When we first meet Rocky in Creed, he's retired from the boxing world and running a restaurant called Adrian's. The restaurant is the setting for a few big scenes, most notably the first meeting between Rocky and Adonis, but it would be great to see more of the restaurant. It's also the ideal setting for a cute family dinner, maybe when Mary Anne is in town, and Adonis isn't bloody from a fight...just a suggestion.
6. Rocky Giving Adonis Love Advice
Talk all you want about the boxing scenes in Creed, but the heart of the movie lies in the relationship between Rocky and Adonis. Call it uncle-nephew, or father-son, the bond that forms between Rocky and Adonis in Creed is one of the most compelling aspects in the film. It makes sense, then, that in a Creed sequel, Donnie would need to turn to his good old Uncle Rocky for help in the love department. (Seriously, how much fun would that be? Not to mention, swoon-worthy.)
7. Rocky And Adonis Training Montage
I'm pretty sure this one goes without saying, but, for the sake of clarity, I'll put it on the list. Training montages are to Rocky what Katniss' bow is to The Hunger Games — iconic and absolutely vital. And, though it may feel a bit pandering, the training montages of Rocky and Adonis working side by side were just perfect. Despite (spoiler) Rocky's declining health, I hope we haven't seen the last of these two practicing side-by-side.
8. Adonis Injured In The Ring
The fact that boxers put their lives on the line when they enter the ring is repeated at length throughout Creed, but never really shown. Yes, as Rocky reminds us, Apollo Creed died in the ring, but to audiences who haven't seen the original Rocky films, all of the physical consequences of boxing remain off screen. Creed did give a few glimpses into Adonis' brutal boxing injuries, but the film didn't really emphasize how those injuries could hurt Adonis in the future, or even in the days following a fight. I would be nice to see Adonis come face to face with his own mortality in a future sequel.
9. Rocky Visiting The Cemetery
One of the most surprising scenes in Creed was when Rocky went to visit the graves of his best friend Paulie and wife Adrian. It was also one of the most touching. If Stallone returns for a Creed sequel, it would be interesting to see a bit more of his visits to the cemetery. Maybe he could even bring Adonis there as a way to open up to him.
Of course, a Creed sequel will need more than these nine things to really separate itself from the Rocky franchise, but, if it's anything like Creed, odds are it will get there, and soon we'll be calling Rocky a Creed series prequel.
Images: Warner Bros; Giphy (9)
