The tragic trajectory of theRockyfranchise after it reached its third movie is a troubling sign for whereCreed IVcould take Adonis’ story next. Following the blockbuster success ofCreed III,Creed IVwas quickly put into active development by producer Irwin Winkler. After franchise star Michael B. Jordan made his directorial debut with the threequel, he’ll be back in the director’s chair for the fourth film. But if theCreedseries continues to follow the trajectory of theRockyseries, thenCreed IVcould bring tragedy to Donnie’s home life.
So far, theCreedmovies have followed theRockymovies pretty closely. In the first movie, Donnie proved himself by taking on a formidable opponent. In the second movie, he settled an old score with a long-time rival. And in the third one, things got personal.TheCreedfilms haven’t been carbon copies of theRockyfilms– they’ve charted their own path – butthey’ve followed the dramatic structure of eachRockymovie in broad strokes. Ifthe confirmedCreed IVfollows in the footsteps ofRocky IV, then Donnie’s family could be in trouble.
10 Reasons Creed 4 Bringing Back Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Would Be A Mistake
Some fans of the Rocky franchise want to see the titular boxer return in Creed 4, but that would be a huge mistake, hurting the Creed franchise.
Rocky Started To Have Family Problems After Rocky 4
Rocky’s family started to crumble in the fourth movie
Rocky’s family life began to disintegrate inRocky IV. The movie begins with Apollo Creed getting killed in the ring by a ruthless Ivan Drago, meaning Rocky lost his beloved mentor. TheCreedmovies don’t have their own version of Apollo – an opponent-turned-mentor – but the closest thing that Donnie has is Rocky himself, who’s mentored him from the very beginning. Since Rocky is the flagship star of this cinematic universe, it’s unlikely that he’d get fridged inCreed IV, but it’s not impossible. It would certainly catch viewers by surprise and establish sky-high stakes for the story.
Whether or notCreed IVdoes something similar toApollo’s death fromRocky IV,Rocky Vis when things really started to fall apart for Rocky. He lost all his money, thanks to a dodgy accountant, and had to move back to his old working-class neighborhood. He neglected his son Robert when he needed him the most – when he was getting bullied at school – and his latest prodigy, Tommy Gunn, turned against him. If theCreedseries follows this trajectory, there could be terrible things in store for Donnie and his family.
Rocky II,Rocky III,Rocky IV, andRocky Balboawere all directed by Sylvester Stallone.
The Creed Movies Have Mirrored Rocky’s Story In Many Ways
They’re both underdogs who became champions
While there areplenty of differences between theRockyandCreedmovies, there are also several parallels between the two characters’ stories. Like Rocky, Donnie is an underdog who rose through the ranks and defied the odds to become a champion. Like theRockysaga, theCreedsaga is more of a love story. Rocky’s boxing career was secondary to his love for Adrian, and Donnie’s boxing career is secondary to his love for Bianca. Both theRockymovies and theCreedmovies have chronicled the title character’s meteoric rise from a fresh-faced amateur to a seasoned pro.
The biggest difference between Rocky and Donnie is thatRocky was a nobody who had to make a name for himself, whereas Donnie was born into a boxing dynasty and had to live up to his dad’s legendary name. But the principle was the same: they were plucky underdogs with a lot to prove. Both Rocky and Donnie have had to contend with the ups and downs of celebrity life in the public eye. So far, Donnie’s story has mirrored Rocky’s, so it stands to reason that the next steps of his journey will continue to follow in Rocky’s footsteps.
5 Things Creed 4 Should Copy From Rocky IV (& 5 Things It Shouldn’t)
The Creed series has also mirrored the Rocky movies in interesting ways, and for Creed 4, there are aspects that should be copied and avoided.
Adonis' Family Has Been One Of The Pillars Of The Creed Movies
Bianca and Amara are the most important people in Donnie’s life
Donnie’s family has been one of the pillars of theCreedmovies. His wife Bianca is his rock who supports him at his lowest points and cheers him on at his highest points. Where Rocky neglected his son to focus on his career, Donnie puts his career second so he can dedicate as much time and energy as possible to raisinghis daughter Amara. Having been raised in a group home, Donnie appreciates the value of a good parental figure and a healthy home life, and wants to make sure Amara has the father he didn’t have.
Whenever he’s been stuck at a crossroads in his life, Donnie has turned to his mother, Mary Anne, for guidance. Since he sadly lost his mother inCreed III, he holds onto Bianca and Amara even more dearly. Family is deeply important to Donnie and his wife and daughter are the two most important people in his life. Donnie is the committed, loving father that his own father never was – and Rocky never was – which has been really inspiring to see. This makes the possibility that he could lose his family in the next couple of movies even more heartbreaking.
Adonis Facing Family Problems Could Make Creed Even Better
So far, there hasn’t been much conflict in Donnie’s personal life
As heartbreaking as it would be to see Donnie lose his family, or something equally tragic happen to them, it might make theCreedsaga an even better story. So far,theCreedmovies have had plenty of conflict inside the ring – Donnie has made his fair share of enemies over the years – but not much conflict outside the ring. Bianca has always been supportive of Donnie, and Amara has always felt loved and prioritized by her dad. It’s really sweet to see Donnie as a caring family man, but it doesn’t exactly make for compelling drama.
This storyline was handled pretty poorly inRocky V, which is generally considered to be one of the weakest entries in the franchise. IfCreed IVand its sequels can handle the family tragedy a bit more gracefully,it could be just what theCreedmovies need to keep feeling fresh. In its first three installments, theCreedseries has done a really admirable job of continuing to up the stakes and avoid falling into a familiar formula like theRockyfilms did. Family drama could be the key to keeping that up inCreed IV.
I’ve been really loving watching Donnie’s family grow intheCreedfilms, and it breaks my heart that his idyllic family life might come crashing down in the next movie. But it would be a great way to keep evolving the story and presenting Donnie with new challenges to overcome. As much as I don’t want to see Donnie lose his family inCreed IV, it might be what this saga needs to keep its audience on their toes.
Creed
Cast
Creed is a spin-off/continuation of the boxing drama franchise Rocky. Set years after the original Rocky series, Creed follows Adonis Johnson, the estranged son of Apollo Creed, on a journey to Philadelphia to find his father’s friend/rival, Rocky Balboa. Now training to follow in his father’s footsteps, Creed fights to become the best boxer in the world.
