The third entry in the acclaimed Rocky spinoff series, Creed 3 starring Michael B. Jordan, has now been moved from its initial 2022 theatrical release date to 2023. In addition to starring as the franchise's main character Adonis Creed, Jordan is also making his directorial debut with Creed 3. Thor: Love & Thunder's Tessa Thompson is set to return as Bianca, along with Phylicia Rashad as Mary Anne Creed. However, Rocky star Sylvester Stallone is notably absent from the cast lineup, making this the first film in the Rocky universe not to feature an appearance from him. Stallone remains involved as a producer, though.
Jonathan Majors, who is known for starring in the HBO series Lovecraft Country and playing the role of Kang the Conqueror in the MCU, will be Creed 3's main villain, which means he will likely be squaring off against Jordan. However, the plot details for the new film are still unknown, so everything is still speculation. A spinoff film from the previous sequel entry, Creed 2, was also recently announced. Titled Drago, it will focus on the characters of Ivan and Viktor Drago, played by Dolph Lundgren and Shang-Chi's Florian Munteanu, respectively.
According to Variety, Creed 3's release date has been moved back several months from its initial November 22, 2022 release date to March 3, 2023. Creed 3 was previously set to open 12 days after Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but will now instead open directly against Paramount’s Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. The two films will face fierce competition from DC's Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom, which arrives just 14 days later.
Creed 3 was reportedly filmed using IMAX cameras, and began production in early 2022 before wrapping production in the spring. Though that filming timeline didn't necessarily spell trouble for its November release date, it was rather telling that up until this point, there had been few promotional materials for the film. Creed 3 displayed a poster at a licensing expo this year, but a trailer has yet to emerge. Most of the major films set to debut by the end of 2022, like the aforementioned Wakanda Forever and Disney's Avatar: The Way of Water, have already debuted their trailers, so Creed 3's lack of one seemed to indicate that a delay could be likely.
Jordan has been open about his dedication to the Creed franchise and his determination to do right by it with his directorial debut. By pushing Creed 3 back until next year, the first-time director now has an opportunity to really make the finished product something special. Unfortunately, this means fans will have to wait longer to watch the next chapter of Adonis' journey and his likely battle against Majors. However, with the amount of anticipation and talent revolving around Creed 3, it will likely be more than worth the wait for audiences around the world.
Source: Variety