Since the news broke that Creed 4 was officially in development, production updates have been unusually scarce, and that silence appears to be intentional. The last major update came from producer Irwin Winkler, who indicated that pre-production would likely begin in 2024 as a script was already in place. However, there seems to have been a change in plans that will have fans waiting longer than expected for the next installment. Following his successful directorial debut with Creed III, franchise star Michael B Jordan was once again set to helm Creed 4, but it now appears he’s deliberately placing the project on the back burner, and he’s explained that decision.
The Black Panther star recently had an interview with GQ, where he revisited some of the iconic characters of his career, including his role as Apollo Creed’s son, Adonis “Donnie” Creed in the Rocky spin-off, Creed. Set years after the Rocky timeline, Creed, directed by Ryan Coogler, was both a critical and commercial success, winning Sylvester Stallone an Academy Award nod for Best Supporting Actor and a Golden Globe Award win in the same category. Creed‘s success unlocked new potential for the sports drama franchise as it soon expanded with two additional films, released to equal success. The latest installment, Creed III, released in 2023, saw Jordan make his directorial debut to great acclaim, but despite that success, Jordan is in no hurry to churn out more films just for the sake of it. In the interview, he shared that he wanted to wait a bit to allow time for the fans to yearn for it:
“Yeah, the fourth one, eventually, not sure when, but we left that door open to build on that franchise. My thing is like, I don’t wanna make a movie just to make it, give it a little time to breathe, make people want it, miss it a little bit. And when the time is right, I’ll drop in and do another one.”
Could ‘Creed 4’ Bring Back Jonathan Majors As Damian Anderson?
In addition to Jordan’s vision and storytelling, Creed III earned widespread praise for Jonathan Majors’ performance as Damian Anderson, a former boxing prodigy who resurfaces to challenge Donnie’s legacy. The film’s ending left the door open for Damian’s possible return, potentially in a redemption arc. However, Majors’ legal troubles, which culminated in his conviction for domestic violence, have cast doubt on his future with the franchise. Despite this, Jordan expressed support for Majors, revealing that he remains open to working with him again, stating: “It’s a tough situation […] But he’s doing great, just got engaged. I’m proud of his resilience and his strength through it all, and [his] handling [of] it. I’m glad he’s good. That’s my boy.”
Creed 4 might have hit the brakes. However, Rocky fans still have other projects to anticipate, including a Drago spin-off which will center on one of the franchise’s most formidable opponents, as well as a Rocky prequel series that Stallone is currently writing.
via Collider