Creed II Director Steven Caple Jr. Weighs in on Creed III (Exclusive)

The Creed franchise is a box office and critical knockout. The Michael B. Jordan-led Rocky spin-off first hit the big screen in 2015, garnering over $170 million worldwide while simultaneously boasting a massive 95 percent certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This reception was enough for Warner Bros. to turn Creed into a full-blown franchise. Creed II arrived three years later, with director Steven Caple Jr. taking the baton from Ryan Coogler. Directorial duties would be passed along once more for this past March's Creed III, as Jordan himself assumed filmmaking responsibilities.

Speaking to ComicBook.com at the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts premiere, Caple Jr. praised Jordan's working on Creed III, noting the project nearly brought him to tears.

"I loved it from the first cut. I saw several versions of the movie as Mike was going through the process and I was super proud, man," Caple Jr. said. "I was sitting there at the premiere. I damn near wanted to cry, man, seeing what he pulled off. I'm super proud to be a part of that legacy. To me, like Creed I, II and III rock. You can just sit down and watch all three and feel satisfied. Super proud."

Regarding a possible return to the franchise, Caple Jr. believes those directorial reins are currently in good hands.

"I don't know. I got to check with Mike, man. He got the heavy hand right now, you know what I mean?" Caple Jr. said. "He's doing great. I feel like he's done so great. He might want to do another one."

Just as Coogler's work on Creed (2015) helped land him a blockbuster franchise in Black Panther, Caple Jr.'s work with the sequel put him in a position to secure Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. He signed onto the project back in November 2020 and has had his hands full with it since. While his future within the Transformers franchise beyond this movie is currently unknown, Paramount Pictures has previously stated that Rise of the Beasts is envisioned as the first film of a new trilogy.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts hits theaters this Friday, June 9th. Check out a snippet from ComicBook.com's Liam Crowley's review below...

"Transformers has always been about spectacle, and Rise of the Beasts delivers on all accounts. The action is pulse-pounding. The relationships are heartfelt. The threat is palpable and, most importantly, it leaves the franchise in the most intriguing position it has been in in years," Crowley wrote in his four-star review. "The summer movie season has been in full throttle for just over a month, and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts sends that popcorn blockbuster momentum into full gear."