Michael B. Jordan’s New Creed IV Update Is Disappointing (But the Right One)

Michael B. Jordan, who headlines the Creed franchise as Adonis, provides an update on a possible Creed IV. The actor sat down with GQ for a video where he reflected on some of his most famous projects, and the Creed series was spotlighted. When discussing the potential for another installment, Jordan was open to the idea of making Creed IV, but suggested it would not be happening anytime soon. He does not want to make a sequel just for the sake of continuing the franchise; he’ll return once the time is right and there’s a great story in place for the film.

“Yeah, the fourth one eventually. Not sure when,” Jordan said. “But we left that door open to build on that franchise. My thing is, I don’t want to make a movie just to make it. Give it a little time to breathe. Make people want it, miss it a little bit. And then when the time is right, I’ll drop in and do another one.”

Creed, a legacy spinoff of the Rocky franchise, premiered back in 2015. Directed by Ryan Coogler, the film received critical acclaim and was a box office success, paving the way for two sequels released in 2018 and 2023. On Creed III, Jordan made his directorial debut. Like its predecessors, Creed III earned positive reviews. It was also a commercial draw, grossing $276.1 million worldwide against a $75 million production budget.

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In late 2023, just a handful of months after Creed III‘s premiere, series producer Irwin Winkler confirmed Creed IV was in the works and said Jordan would once again serve as director. At the time, the filmmaker teased they had “a really good story,” however, things have been relatively quiet on the Creed IV front since these statements were made.

Given the popularity of the Creed franchise, it isn’t surprising there’s interest in a fourth installment. While the temptation is there to fast-track it, Jordan has the right mindset with the patient approach. The first three installments took what could have been a hokey premise (Rocky Balboa trains Apollo Creed’s son) and turned it into something heartfelt and special, telling a compelling narrative of a young man finding his place in the world and making a name for himself. The trilogy was a fascinating spin on the established franchise formula, so it would be a shame if a fourth entry didn’t live up to the standards its predecessors set. The Rocky/Creed franchise is one of cinema’s most enduring properties, so there really isn’t a risk of audiences losing interest. If there’s an extended gap between releases, it just means the creative team is taking their time to ensure Creed IV is as great as it can be.

The Creed trilogy also tells a fairly complete story; over the course of the films, Adonis rose the ranks to become boxing’s world champ and reconciled with some noteworthy ghosts of his past (the Drago fight in Creed II; Damien in Creed III). It’s easy to see Creed III as the final chapter of this part of Adonis’ life, and now the goal is to figure out where the character goes next. Rushing forward with something now would run the risk of spoiling a very satisfying conclusion. Whenever Creed IV forges ahead, audiences can rest assured Jordan has put in the work to make something memorable.