Creed III: release date, trailer, cast and everything we know about the Michael B. Jordan movie

It's time to step back into the ring with Creed III, the latest movie in the Rocky spinoff franchise that follows Adonis "Donnie" Creed (Michael B. Jordan), the son of Apollo Creed. The Creed movies have reinvigorated the classic boxing franchise for the 21st century, but with Creed III Jordan is taking on an even bigger role as Sylvester Stallone has officially exited the franchise.

2015's Creed introduced us to Donnie and his quest to be seen as a legitimate heir to his father's legacy, while Creed II reignited the Creed vs Drago rivalry that stemmed from Rocky IV. Creed III brings forward an all new challenger, with a major rising star set to play him.

Let's ring the bell. Here's everything we know about Creed III.

Creed III release date

Creed III has a release date of March 3, 2023, around the world exclusively in movie theaters. Tickets are now on sale.

Creed III plot

So far, the Creed franchise has had strong roots in the Rocky movies, between Donnie connecting with Rocky Balboa and trying to earn the legacy of his family name, to coming face to face with his father's downfall by taking on the Dragos. In the third entry, however, it looks like we're going to break away from the original franchise even more, digging into Donnie's backstory away from the Creeds, Dragos and Balboas.

Here is the official synopsis for Creed III:

"After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed has been thriving in both his career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian, resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian — a fighter who has nothing to lose."

The screenplay was written by Keenan Coogler (Space Jam: A New Legacy) and Zach Baylin (King Richard). Ryan Coogler, who directed the first two movies, has a "story by" credit, according to IMDb.

Creed III trailer

The Creed III trailer has arrived and for some odd reasons we have the desire to go hit a punching bag (though we'll skip Donnie's workout of punching a tree). The faceoff between Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors looks intense and we can't wait to see it play out on the big screen.

Watch the full trailer right here:

You can also watch a behind-the-scenes look at the movie, which teases some of the IMAX footage:

Plus, Creed III got a trailer as part of the Super Bowl, which you can watch right here:

MGM has also released what it has dubbed the "final trailer" for the movie. Watch that directly below:

Creed III cast

Much of the main cast from the previous two Creed movies are back for Creed III, first and foremost Michael B. Jordan as Donnie. Jordan has proven himself over the years as one of the best young actors in Hollywood, with acclaimed performances in movies like Fruitvale Station, Black Panther, the Friday Night Lights TV series and, of course, Creed. He is now fully in control of this franchise, as Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky is not expected to appear (though never discount a potential cameo).

Also returning for Creed III are Tessa Thompson (Thor: Love and Thunder, Westworld) as Donnie’s wife and talented musician Bianca, Phylicia Rashad (The Cosby Show, Empire) as Donnie’s adopted mother Mary Anne Creed and Wood Harris (Winning Time, Empire) as Donnie’s trainer, Tony "Little Duke" Burton.

Florian Munteanu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) is also coming back in his role as Viktor Drago. According to IMDb, Creed’s main antagonist, "Pretty" Ricky Conlon (Tony Bellew) is also expected to appear in the movie. Meanwhile, actual boxer Canelo Alvarez is making his acting debut in the movie, though he is not expected to play himself.

While it’ll be great to see all of these familiar faces to the Creed franchise again, it’s the new arrival of Jonathan Majors as Damian Anderson that is incredibly exciting. Majors’ career has been sky-rocketing over the last couple of years, starting with the indie movie The Last Black Man in San Francisco to an Emmy-nominated turn in Lovecraft Country, starring roles in Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods, the Netflix western The Harder They Fall and being tapped to be the next big bad in the MCU, Kang the Conqueror, which already featured an appearance in the Loki finale as well as an upcoming one in Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania in 2023. In the meantime, Majors has Devotion still to come in 2022.

Check out the character posters and some stills from Creed III below.

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Creed III reviews — what the critics are saying

The reviews are in for the latest entry to this boxing franchise. What to Watch's Creed III review bills the movie as serviceable, enjoyable sequel with some the required cheer-inducing training montages and fight sequences, though the movie outside the ring feels lacking.

Other critics have crowned Creed III a winner, as the movie has been "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes, with a score as of March 1 of 90%.

Creed III director

Ryan Coogler launched the Creed franchise by directing the 2015 entry, while Steven Caple Jr. took over directing duties for Creed II. Another new director is handling Creed III, but someone who is very familiar with the franchise already — Michael B. Jordan.

Jordan is pulling double duty as the star and director for Creed III, which marks his directing debut. Jordan released this statement when he was announced as the Creed III director:

"Directing has always been an aspiration, but the timing had to be right. Creed III is that moment — a time in my life where I’ve grown more sure of who I am, holding agency in my own story, maturing personally, growing professionally and learning from the greats like Ryan Coogler, most recently Denzel Washington, and other top tier directors I respect. All of which sets the table for this moment."

Jordan is also following in the footsteps of Sylvester Stallone, who starred and directed four of the six Rocky movies (Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV and Rocky Balboa).

How long is Creed III?

Creed III has a runtime of one hour and 56 minutes.

What is Creed III rated?

Creed III is rated PG-13 in the US and 12A in the UK for "intense sports action, violence and some strong language."