When he isn’t whipping a bread factory into shape in the rather absurd (and rather brilliant) new ad for Warburtons, Sylvester Stallone is in the ring coaching Michael B. Jordon in Ryan Coogler’s new Rocky spin-off, Creed.
Set some time after the events of the seminal series, the story will primarily center around Jordan’s character, Adonis. As the son of Rocky Balbao’s enemy-turned-ally, Apollo Creed, it isn’t long before our protagonist is seeking advice and training from the former world beater, and it’s only under the tutelage of The Italian Stallion that Adonis will be able to emulate his father’s reputation and ultimately realize his full potential.
The core plot itself may not be wholly original, but there’s certainly a lot of promise brimming beneath Creed‘s burly, musclebound exterior. For one, as one of the lead’s in Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four, Michael B. Jordon is quickly becoming one of the hottest actors in Hollywood, and it’ll be interesting to see a more dramatic side of the star in Coogler’s spinoff. As for Stallone, well, who could possibly deny the feeling of nostalgia seeing the world champ enter the ring once more?
Creed will arrive in theaters on November 25. In the meantime, get acquainted with the leading pair – and their student-master dynamic – through the first official image below.
Adonis Johnson (Jordan) never knew his famous father, world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, who died before he was born. Still, there’s no denying that boxing is in his blood, so Adonis heads to Philadelphia, the site of Apollo Creed’s legendary match with a tough upstart named Rocky Balboa.
Once in the City of Brotherly Love, Adonis tracks Rocky (Stallone) down and asks him to be his trainer. Despite his insistence that he is out of the fight game for good, Rocky sees in Adonis the strength and determination he had known in Apollo—the fierce rival who became his closest friend. Agreeing to take him on, Rocky trains the young fighter, even as the former champ is battling an opponent more deadly than any he faced in the ring.