Creed
Michael B. Jordan (not pictured) will play Adonis Johnson, Apollo Creed's son, in the "Rocky" sequel "Creed." Warner Bros.

Rocky Balboa is getting back into the ring! Well, not exactly, but the next installment of the "Rocky" franchise is on the way. The trailer for "Creed," director Ryan Coogler's new film centering on Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan), the son of boxer Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) from the original "Rocky" movies, was released Wednesday.

The trailer sets the stage for the return of the most iconic movie boxer as, not a fighter, but a trainer. Viewers are introduced to Adonis Johnson as a struggling boxer in Philadelphia who does not feel much of a kinship to his famous father. Fans will remember that Apollo Creed died in the ring in "Rocky IV" while fighting Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), a fact one trainer uses to taunt Adonis during a workout. Adonis is determined to make his own way, but at some point he seems to want to connect with his roots, leading him to the restaurant fans saw Rocky managing in 2006's "Rocky Balboa." There, towards the end of the trailer, Sylvester Stallone's inconic character finally makes his entrance. It appears Balboa will become Adonis' trainer as the young boxer's career starts to take off.

Watch the trailer for "Creed" below:

For a franchise whose quality has been inconsistent, "Creed" has a lot of promise. Coogler and Michael B. Jordan are the director and actor team behind 2013's critically acclaimed "Fruitvale Station," which generated significant Oscar buzz for Jordan, though he ultimately did not get a nomination. According to Deadline Hollywood, Coogler grew up watching the "Rocky" movies with his father, who was later diagnosed with ALS. Coogler cashed in all the chips he had earned from the studio for "Fruitvale Station" to get "Creed" off the ground, in the process convincing Stallone, who created Rocky in addition to having played him in every movie, to trust the young writer/director with the character.

Can Rocky help Adonis become a boxing great? Fans will have to wait to find out. "Creed" will premiere in theaters nationwide on Nov. 25.

RELATED STORIES