Creed III Super Bowl Trailer: Jonathan Majors And Michael B. Jordan Face Off In The Ring

In between moments of men barrelling toward each other in the 2023 Super Bowl, we got a look at men pummelling each other in the "Creed III" trailer. The upcoming boxing drama — the ninth entry in the "Rocky" movie series that began in 1976 — follows Adonis "Donnie" Creed (Michael B. Jordan) seven years on from 2018's "Creed II." Donnie is now a successful professional boxer and has settled into a happy home life with his partner Bianca Taylor (Tessa Thompson). But this seemingly perfect life is threatened when a face from Donnie's past turns up to cause trouble.

That face — and the film's new villain, with no known ties to the "Rocky" franchise — comes in the form of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" star Jonathan Majors, who plays Damian "Dame" Anderson. Fresh out of prison, the former boxing prodigy has a point to prove to his childhood friend Donnie. "Creed III" is the first film in the series that won't feature Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa.

There's been a shake-up behind the scenes too, with Jordan getting into the director's chair for the first time. Check out the new trailer for "Creed III" below.

"Creed III" also sees the return of Wood Harris as Donnie's uncle-figure Tony "Little Duke" Evers, Phylicia Rashad as Donnie's adoptive mother Mary Anne Creed, Mila Davis-Kent as Donnie and Bianca's daughter Amara Creed, and Florian Munteanu as Viktor Drago, the son of Soviet slugger Ivan Drago and the antagonist of the previous film. With Balboa out, Viktor and Donnie are the only associations left from the "Rocky" days. (Donnie is the son of the in-universe boxing legend Apollo Creed who died tragically in 1985's "Rocky IV," after being punched to death by Ivan.)

Will Drago Jr. become a friend to Creed Jr. as Rocky did with his former adversary? Will this Dame fellow turn out to be bad, actually? Will there be punching? Presumably yes to all of the above — and much more!

Selenis Leyva, Thaddeus J. Mixson, and Spence Moore II are also set to appear in "Creed III," as is Mexican boxer Canelo Álvarez, in undisclosed roles. Michael B. Jordan is directing "Creed III," with a script from Zach Baylin ("King Richard") and Keenan Coogler ("Space Jam: A New Legacy"). Ryan Coogler ("Black Panther: Wakanda Forever") shares story credit.

"Creed III" opens in theaters on March 3, 2023. A fourth "Creed" film will "for sure" happen, Jordan has said.