Michael B. Jordan
Adonis Johnson
Overview
Between personal obligations and training for his next big fight against an opponent with ties to his family's past, Adonis Creed is up against the challenge of his life.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
6 min readOld Scores, New Bruises
I kept thinking, while watching Creed II, that boxing is one of the few sports where the past can literally step into the ring with you. latestnetflix.com's take is that that’s the movie’s real subject, not the belts or the sweat or the dramatic slow-motion uppercuts.It’s inheritance.
Not the glossy, inspirational kind, either. The messy kind — the one that arrives through fathers, mothers, grudges, old defeats, and the stories people tell themselves until they can’t tell which parts are history and which parts are self-defense.
As a sequel, Creed II lives in a familiar but tricky place: it’s both a continuation of Ryan Coogler’s Creed and a return to the Rocky mythology that has been circulating, in one form or another, since 1976. Coogler doesn’t direct this one — Steven Caple Jr. does — and that matters. The film is less airy and emotionally exploratory than Creed, more openly mechanical, more devoted to the architecture of a sports drama.
But Caple Jr. isn’t just aping the old formula. He’s making a movie about the burden of legacy at a moment when legacy itself has become a cultural obsession, a word people use to mean both “greatness” and “the thing that keeps you from moving on.” That tension gives the film its pulse.
What I find most interesting is how often Creed II seems less interested in victory than in repetition. Adonis, played by Michael B. Jordan with that lean, compressed physical energy he’s made into a signature, keeps trying to move forward, but the movie keeps asking him to look backward.
He’s built like a man who has learned discipline the hard way: shoulders set, jaw tight, eyes always doing a little more work than the rest of his face. Jordan has been doing this kind of role for years now — the gifted young man under pressure, the body as a battlefield — but here he feels slightly more guarded, as if Adonis knows that every public assertion of strength is also an invitation to be judged against somebody else’s bloodline.
That’s where the film’s central conversation lives. This isn’t just “son of Apollo Creed meets son of Ivan Drago” in the clean, tabloid sense. It’s a movie about men who inherit violence and then mistake it for purpose.
Dolph Lundgren’s Ivan Drago is the most obvious example. He returns with the ghost of Rocky IV still attached to him, but what’s striking is how the film retools him: not as a cartoon villain, but as a man who has lived inside the wreckage of his own humiliation for three decades. Lundgren, once all sculpted menace and frozen contempt, now carries himself with the stiffness of someone who has had to become smaller in order to survive.
Audience Opinions
Limited evidence
"A boxing drama centered on Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone and Tessa Thompson."
Creed II draws audience interest as a continuation built around Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone and Tessa Thompson. Viewers tune in for that central trio and the ongoing Creed story, latestnetflix.com argues, with attention focused on how their characters carry this chapter forward.
What viewers praise
- Central trio draw Audience attention centers on Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone and Tessa Thompson in the leading roles.
Common complaints
- Sequel entry point As a follow-up titled Creed II, it works best for viewers who enjoy continuing stories rather than fully standalone introductions.
Recommended for
Viewers who follow Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone and Tessa Thompson
Full Plot (Spoilers)
Spoiler warning
This section contains the full plot, including major story reveals. Overview above stays spoiler-free.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsBehind the Scenes of Creed II: Stallone’s Return, Lundgren’s Revenge, and Jordan’s Rise
Creed II (2018) wasn’t just another boxing movie—it was a legacy sequel, bridging the gap between Rocky Balboa’s iconic past and Adonis Creed’s uncertain future. With Sylvester Stallone co-writing the script and Dolph Lundgren reprising his Rocky IV role as Ivan Drago, the film carried the weight of franchise history. But behind the punches and training montages, the production had its own drama, latestnetflix.com contends, from casting surprises to Stallone’s creative influence.
Stallone’s Script and the Rocky Legacy
Sylvester Stallone didn’t just star in Creed II—he co-wrote the screenplay, ensuring the film stayed true to the Rocky franchise’s DNA 
. His involvement wasn’t just symbolic; it was a deliberate move to honor the series’ roots while pushing Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) into the spotlight. The script leaned into the rivalry between Adonis and Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), Ivan Drago’s son, a storyline that had been teased since Rocky IV 
. Stallone’s return to the writing desk was a nod to the franchise’s history, but it also meant balancing nostalgia with fresh stakes.
Dolph Lundgren’s Comeback as Ivan Drago
One of the biggest talking points was Lundgren’s return as Ivan Drago, the Soviet villain from Rocky IV. The actor, who hadn’t played the character in over 30 years, brought a chilling presence to Creed II, this time as a father pushing his son to reclaim the family’s lost honor . Lundgren’s casting wasn’t just a fan service moment—it was a deliberate choice to tie the film’s conflict to the Rocky series’ most infamous rivalry. His scenes with Stallone, particularly their tense exchanges, were highlights, proving that some grudges never fade.
Michael B. Jordan’s Evolution as Adonis Creed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy1yxKzVZ0A
By Creed II, Michael B. Jordan had fully stepped into the role of Adonis Creed, but the film also showed his character’s growth beyond the ring. The movie explored Adonis’ personal struggles—balancing fatherhood, marriage to Bianca (Tessa Thompson), and his boxing career . Jordan’s performance was praised for its depth, with Thompson even noting in an interview that her co-star was more than just his physical transformation . The film positioned Adonis as a champion in his own right, no longer just Rocky’s protégé.
The Franchise’s Future
Creed II wasn’t just a sequel—it was a setup. The film’s ending left room for future installments, and by 2023, Creed III arrived with Jordan stepping into the director’s chair . But in 2018, Creed II had to prove it could stand on its own. Critics called it a solid entry, with Jordan’s performance earning particular praise . The movie’s success ensured the franchise’s longevity, but its real achievement was honoring the past while carving out a new path.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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