Creed 3 Ending Explained (In Detail)

Warning: This post contains major spoilers for Creed III

Creed III sees Adonis Creed still on top, coming out of retirement to fight childhood friend Damian “Diamond” Anderson. Directed by Michael B. Jordan, who also returns as the title character, from a screenplay by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin, Creed III explores Adonis Creed’s past, and the next stage in his life.

Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) was taken aback when Dame (Jonathan Majors) reentered his life. After revealing what he was really after — and the lengths he would go to get it — Dame challenged Adonis to a fight. Dame wanted to prove that he was the best of the best, and Creed wasn’t about to let him win. The boxing match is heavily charged because there is so much history between the childhood friends. After 12 rounds, Creed wins and reconciles with Dame; there are no hard feelings between them. Creed III ends with Adonis in the ring with his daughter and Bianca briefly before they walk away together.

Related: Creed III Review: Jordan’s Directorial Debut Is Convincing & Confident

Why Dame Wanted To Fight Adonis In Creed 3

Damien reached out to Creed after getting out of prison, but it wasn’t to rekindle their friendship. He was past all that. Rather, it was a set-up so that Damien could have personal access to Creed’s life — his home, his gym, his family. Jonathan Majors’ character was targeting the other man’s weaknesses. Dame even hired an inmate to attack Drago so that he wouldn’t be fit to box against Felix, Creed’s boxer. That gave Damien the opportunity to fight for the first time since he went to prison.

Damien wanted to reclaim what was lost during his time away, and he blamed some of that on Creed, who ran away and seemingly abandoned Dame when he needed him the most. Getting back in the ring gave Dame a chance to exact revenge on Creed, facing him in a way that he couldn’t back then, simultaneously getting his name out there in the boxing world to kickstart his career. Ultimately, Dame had a bone to pick with Creed, using him like a rung on the ladder on his way to the top. His Creed III plan allowed him to settle old scores and get back into boxing in one fell swoop.

Viktor Drago Spinoff Setup In Creed 3 Explained

Vikto Drago and Adonis Creed fought each other at the end of Creed II. In Creed III, however, Drago and Creed are allies. Though their relationship isn’t fully explored in Creed III, they must have grown closer in the years between the films. Drago and Creed show an ample amount of respect for one another in the Creed franchise’s third installment, and Creed III sets up a Viktor Drago spinoff. Now that he and Creed are friends, what’s next for Drago?

He’s still boxing, and he seems to be in a better place now, less angry, so a Drago spinoff movie could give the character the focus he has not received in the Creed movies so far. There’s a lot more to the boxer than meets the eye, and a spinoff movie could finally explore his history, the Drago family drama and so much more. If nothing else, Creed III certainly implies that audiences haven’t seen the last of Viktor Drago, especially now that he’s in LA. He could even duke it out with Damian Anderson in the Creed spinoff. Anything is possible.

Related: 6 Reasons Creed 3’s Reviews Are So Good

Why Rocky Doesn’t Attend Mary-Anne’s Funeral In Creed 3

Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa isn’t in Creed III at all, despite appearing in the first two Creed films. Interestingly, Rocky Balboa isn’t even mentioned after Creed’s mother, Mary-Anne, dies following her second stroke. Considering they knew each other well and Rocky would always check in on her, it seemed odd that he wouldn’t show up to her funeral or give Creed a call. It’s possible Rocky was away for a fight and couldn’t reach LA in time for the funeral. It could be that he reached out to Creed offscreen. Either way, there could have been an excuse made regarding Rocky’s notable absence at Mary-Anne’s funeral instead of keeping audiences guessing.

The Reason Mary-Anne Kept Damian’s Letters A Secret

Before Mary-Anne Creed passed away, Creed discovered she had been hiding Damian’s letters, which Adonis was angry about. Ultimately, Mary-Anne didn’t want Adonis to continue being attached to Damian, who she felt was a bad influence. Mary-Anne wanted her son to move on, to build a new life for himself that was free from his painful past. Creed III really reflected upon Adonis’ past, and the connections with Mary-Anne and Damian solidified that. While Adonis was furious, Mary-Anne felt she was doing the right thing to protect her son. It was something she felt he couldn’t appreciate at the time, even though it proved Adonis could indeed grow without Damian by his side.

Why Adonis Beat Dame In Creed 3’s Final Fight

When Adonis Creed became the world champion, there wasn’t much more he could accomplish in the boxing world. However, when Dame challenged him to defend his title on live television, Adonis had no choice but to take his old friend up on his offer. To be sure, Creed could have refused, but he was never someone who backed down from a fight, and he had a lot to prove to not just Damian, but to himself as well.

Creed had to win the anime-influenced boxing match for many reasons — to defend his championship title, to defend his pride, and to prove to himself that he is not someone who runs away from a fight as an adult. Fighting Dame proved all these things, and winning the match showed Dame that Creed was undefeated, the best at the game. Creed had to prove to himself that the title he won was something that was earned, and that it wasn’t some sort of fluke just because Dame was excellent at boxing. After all, Creed had worked hard for the life he had, and it would have looked bad if he’d lost against Dame.

Related: When Will Creed 3 Release On Streaming?

How Creed 3 Sets Up Creed 4

There’s not much in Creed III that suggests Adonis will be back for another round, but Creed 4 was confirmed by Michael B. Jordan. In addition to the potential of a Viktor Drago spinoff, Creed III suggests a spin-off with Jonathan Majors’ character, who has only just begun his boxing career. With Creed III seeing Adonis retired, it’s possible Creed 4 could follow his daughter, Amara Creed, as she begins her boxing career.

Creed III confirmed Amara was really into boxing, and had even seen all of her father’s matches. Since the Creed movies have included time jumps, it’s possible Creed 4 could take place several years after the third film, with Amara, as a teenager, training with her father for her first match. Adonis wants to give back and dedicate his time to training others, so why not start with his own daughter? Amara could learn how to properly fight from her father, and how to better express her feelings from her mother Bianca. There’s a lot of potential here, and it would be a nice way to continue Adonis Creed’s story.

Creed 3’s Ending Meaning Explained

Creed III is about facing one’s past, standing up to it and taking accountability for one’s actions. Throughout the film, Adonis is faced with guilt, fear, and anger. In addition to finally taking responsibility instead of running away like he did as a child, Creed had to work through his feelings instead of taking out his anger in unhealthy ways and remaining closed up. The Creed movies have long been about Adonis coming to terms with his father’s legacy and death, and shaping a path for himself on his own terms.

But he’s had to wade through a lot of heavy emotions to do so. Adonis really steps up at the end of Creed III, showing Damian that he is not the person he used to be; he’s grown up, and he can sort through the emotions he was previously unable to convey in words. Creed recognizing that he could have been there for his friend when he wasn’t, as well as apologizing for it is true character development. Creed is all the better for facing his past and being able to truly move on. It brings his story full circle.

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