'Creed II' Is About More Than Revenge, According To Michael B. Jordan
Creed II will have Adonis Creed facing off against Victor Drago, son of Ivan Drago – the man who killed Adonis' father, Apollo. That sets Creed II up to seem like less of a boxing drama and more of a revenge thriller. But according to star Michael B. Jordan, there's a lot more to Creed II than simple revenge. According to the actor, Creed II's story is more layered than a simple synopsis might suggest.Creed was fantastic, a powerful, emotional film that took the Rocky mythos and turned it into something fresh and exciting. While I loved every second of it, I wasn't exactly eager for a sequel. After all, sequels were what heavily diluted the original Rocky (remember Rocky V?). I grew even more apprehensive when I learned what Creed II was going to be about: Adonis Creed facing off against Victor Drago, the son of his father's killer. That seemed like a cheap, lazy approach, and very far removed from what made the first film so special.
But perhaps my fears are unfounded. In a new interview, Adonis Creed himself – Michael B. Jordan – clarified that the sequel has more on its mind than revenge. "[Victor Drago's] storyline is very layered," Jordan says, adding:
"The two guys are similar in a lot of ways... Adonis feels, naturally, a certain animosity towards Viktor and Ivan, and then there are other themes in there: the maturity of growth, the importance of family, of legacy, is what makes Creed so special. It's not just about revenge. It's about a lot of things... If we get that lesson across, then I think we've made a pretty special movie."
That certainly sounds a lot more promising than straight-up revenge. And the Creed II trailer has already sold me on the film. Still, even if Creed II turns out to be a masterpiece, I really hope it doesn't turn into the type of franchise Rocky became. In other words, I don't want to watch Creed V one day and ask, "What the hell happened to this series?"
However, Jordan doesn't rule out future films. When asked if he would stick with the franchise for 42 years as Sylvester Stallone has, Jordan comments: "I want to keep making them as long as they're good. I always want to keep my finger on the pulse. Forty-two years, I mean, who knows?"
Who knows, indeed.
Creed II steps back into the ring on November 21, 2018.