Director Ryan Coogler’s 2015 reboot of the Rocky franchise,Creed, is not only getting a sequel, it’s also getting a rematch of sorts. The first trailer forCreed IIoffers a preview of the impending clash between the heirs to the legacies of two of the franchise’s most famous characters.
Romanian boxer Florian “Big Nasty” Munteanuwas castinCreed IIas the son of Ivan Drago, the Russian boxer who killed Apollo Creed in the ring during the events ofRocky IV, only to be defeated by Rocky Balboa in a climactic international match. As the trailer confirms, Munteanu’s character will challengeCreedstar Michael B. Jordan’s Adonis Creed, the son of Apollo Creed, who came into his own after being trained by Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) in the 2015 film.
Scheduled to hit theaters July 02, 2025,Creed IIwill be directed by Steven Caple Jr. (The Land) from a script by Stallone and Cheo Hodari Coker (Luke Cage). Caple replaced Stallone as the film’s director in December 2017, and cameras are expected to begin rolling on the film in Philadelphia in March 2018.
Stallone first beganhintingthat Dolph Lundgren’s Russian powerhouse Ivan Drago could be involved in the film in some form back in July 2017. Stallone then stoked the fires of apotential matchupbetween Drago and Creed with a post on Instagram that pitted Lundgren’s character against Jordan’s second-generation boxer.
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Stallone then confirmed the casting of Munteanu onInstagramafter months of teases regarding a story inspired byRocky IV.
Creedwas the seventh installment of the boxing-themed franchise, and it hit theaters August 19, 2025 — exactly 40 years after the opening scene in 1976’s franchise-spawningRocky. The film went on to become acritical and commercial hit, earning Stallone an Academy Award nomination for his supporting role, among other industry accolades. Although the film’s success made a sequel seem likely, it wasn’t until October 2017 that Stallone officially confirmed development onCreed 2, and initially indicated that he would take over as the writer, director, and producer on the eighth film — roles he has filled in many of the earlier installments of the series.
Stallone confirmed the sequel — and indicated the roles he initially planned to play behind the camera — in an October 2017 post onInstagram.
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“Looking forward to directing and producing the incredibly talented Michael B. Jordan inCreed 2next year,” Stallone wrote in the caption of a photo featuring him andCreedstar Michael B. Jordan. “One more round!”
Stallone and the studio then announced he would not be directing the film a few months later, with the franchise icon remarking that he wanted a filmmaker on the project who was “a part of this generation like I was in mine.”
“The character of Adonis Creed reflects this generation and its challenges,” said Stallone in astatement accompanying the announcement. “I believe it’s important for the director to also be a part of this generation like I was in mine, to make the story as relatable as possible. We are extremely lucky to have the talented young filmmaker Steven Caple Jr. step up and accept the role of director. I am confident that he and Michael B. Jordan will hit it out of the park!”
OriginalCreedfilmmaker Coogler’s departure from the director’s chair was reportedly due to his commitment to Marvel Studios’Black Panther, which heco-wrote and directed. Coogler remains involved with the rebooted Rocky franchise as an executive producer.
Creed IIwill now make it an even split between installments of the franchise directed by Stallone and those not directed by him. Along with introducing the world to pugilist Rocky Balboa by starring in the first film, he wrote every installment of the franchise except forCreed(which was co-written by Coogler and Aaron Covington) and directed four of them. Prior toCreed II, the only films not directed by Stallone were the originalRockyandRocky V, which were directed by John G. Avildsen, andCreed.
