Why Tessa Thompson Refused To Say This Specific Word In Creed 3
In a lot of ways, "Creed III" represents a huge shift for its cast, crew and characters. The ninth installment in the "Rocky" franchise is also the first without its titular leading man, with Sylvester Stallone having said goodbye to the role in 2021. The narrative burden now rests entirely on the shoulders of his protege, Michael B. Jordan, who also serves as director of "Creed III." The film takes a lot of big swings both narratively and aesthetically, but it all pays off in a way that establishes the "Creed" trilogy in a world of its own. One of those big swings comes in the form of a time jump, which reintroduces Jordan's Adonis "Donnie" Creed and his wife Bianca (Tessa Thompson) seven years after the events of "Creed II." The dreams they were fighting so hard to achieve in the first two "Creed" films have been realized in those seven years — but they've naturally grown up a lot in that time, which manifests in subtle ways throughout the new film.
One of the bigger signs of maturity in "Creed III" is demonstrated in Bianca's character. In these seven years, she's become a wife and a mother, but also a successful recording artist and producer in Los Angeles. Bianca's relationship with Adonis notably began in Philadelphia, and on their first "date," Bianca gives the L.A. local a bit of a crash course in Philly culture. They go out for Philly cheesesteaks, and during the meal, Bianca explains the meaning of her favorite turn of phrase: "jawn." A jawn, Bianca tells Donnie, is a noun, one you can use to describe anything. It's a versatile bit of slang — but after seven years in L.A., Thompson felt that there were some things best left in Philadelphia.
'She has grown into a fuller expression of who she is'
Tessa Thompson spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about Bianca's development in "Creed III," especially with her adapting to an entirely new world after relocating to Los Angeles. "She's been in L.A. for a long while, and I think she has matured," Thompson explained. Changing her vocabulary, and eliminating certain colloquialisms, was Thompson's way of establishing that maturity. Removing the word "jawn" was an "intentional" change on the actor's part:
"I said to them, 'I'm not saying jawn in this movie because we've heard it, we've done it. I want to break new territory.' [...] She hasn't changed fundamentally, but there are things about her where she has grown into a fuller expression of who she is. So there's no jawns, but who knows, a jawn could always come back around."
Thompson also pointed out other manifestations of that change in Bianca, notably with the tattoos she's sported since the first "Creed" film:
"Bianca is the only character where I have worn tattoos. I now have 12; I had less when we made the first one. And near my right wrist, I have a tattoo that says yes, which I wore in the first film, and it became a thing. The first thing you see when Donnie enters her apartment is a 'yes' that she has on her wall, and it was a whole thematic thing that Ryan [Coogler] and I talked a lot about. In the second film, she changed that tattoo to 'yesterday' because there was this idea that her feelings had changed."
The "Creed" films have always been thoughtful about the way their characters are portrayed. It's nice to see that continue with the third, and in subtle ways that aren't as easy to spot.
"Creed III" is now playing in theaters.