The trailer for Creed III debunks a big theory about Damian, the new villain played by Jonathan Majors. Creed III is directed by Michael B. Jordan, who also stars as Adonis Creed. Tessa Thompson also returns as his wife, Bianca, as does Wood Harris as Adonis’ trainer, Tony. However, Creed III will be the first rocky movie/spin-off in which Sylvester Stallone will not appear as Rocky Balboa, although Sly will remain on board as executive producer.
When Jonathan Majors was cast as Creed III‘s villain, the rumor spread that Damian would be revealed as the son of Clubber Lang (Mr. T). This followed how Creed II was essentially a sequel to Rocky IV where Adonis fought Viktor Drago (Florian Muntenau), the son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren). However, Creed III’The trailer apparently disproves this, showing that Damian is a childhood friend of Adonis who was released from prison just after 18 years. While this doesn’t mean Dame can’t be Clubber Lang’s son or relative, it seems that: Creed III takes a different path and centers on Donnie’s childhood best friend turning into his bitterest enemy.
Creed III telling a personal story about jealousy and a broken friendship between Damian and Adonis is smarter than letting Dame have a relationship with someone else rocky legacy character. The fact that Rocky Balboa isn’t in the movie makes it possible Creed III to finally stand on its own and not be so overly dependent on Rocky and his supporting cast. Although Viktor Drago also appears in Creed III, at least he has a history with Adonis that is separate from Rocky’s old rivalry with Ivan Drago.
Interestingly, however, Damian’s history matches that of Clubber Lang. Clubber’s backstory was that he was a former ex-con turned professional fighter, and he was driven by his own seething jealousy and loathing for Rocky Balboa. It seems that Creed III at the very least borrows aspects of Clubber Lang’s template for Damian while creating the perfect antithesis to Adonis Creed, which is the smarter move. And even if Creed III reveals that Dame is related to the villainous Clubber Lang, at least his animosity with Donnie stems from personal reasons and not because he wants revenge for Rocky who beat Clubber Lang decades ago.
What else we know about Jonathan Majors’ Creed 3 villain
Damian from Jonathan Majors seems specifically designed to be an ideal enemy for Adonis Creed. Dame was imprisoned for 18 years and, in Creed IIIIn the trailer, Bianca notices that something is wrong with her husband regarding Damian. Donnie is so shocked by Dame’s return that the heavyweight champion must have a secret about Damian. It’s possible that Dame took the rap for Adonis when they were kids, and this is why he now wants to take everything his famous and successful former best friend has.
mr. T has not been confirmed to appear in Creed III, but the question is who trains Damian to fight Adonis. It is possible that Viktor Drago will become Dame’s corner man unless the Russian has made peace with Donnie and stands behind his former opponent. Maybe Damian just embodies the familiar elements of Clubber Lang, but isn’t directly related to the ruthless ex-champion. But Damian summons Clubber, the unforgettable villain of rocky III, can be enough of a tribute for Creed III.
Creed III releases in theaters on March 3, 2023.
