The Creed 3 ending 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 тιтle 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) is taken aback when Dame (Jonathan Majors) reenters his life following his friend’s lengthy prison sentence.

After revealing what he was really after — and the lengths he would go to get it — Dame challenged Adonis to a fight. Dame wants to prove that he is the best of the best, and Creed is not 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.

Why Dame Wanted To Fight Adonis In Creed 3

Dame Felt He Lost His Career & Wanted To Prove His Worth

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 he wouldn’t be fit to box against Felix, Creed’s boxer. That allowed Damien 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 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 plan allowed him to settle old scores and return to boxing in one fell swoop.

Viktor Drago Spinoff Setup In Creed 3 Explained

Viktor Is In Los Angeles & Has Become A Good Guy

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 ample 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 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 much more to the boxer than meets the eye, and a spinoff movie could explore his history and the Drago family drama. Creed III 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.

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

The Movie Never Reveals Rocky’s Reasons For Missing The Funeral

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 attend her funeral or call Creed. It’s possible Rocky, who lives in Canada now, couldn’t reach LA in time for the funeral.

It could be that he reached out to Creed off-screen. Either way, there could have been an excuse made regarding Rocky’s notable absence at Mary-Anne’s funeral instead of keeping audiences guessing. As for the real reason, Sylvester Stallone refused to appear in Creed III, saying that the franchise was going to a dark place he wasn’t comfortable with. He is also feuding with producer Irwin Winkler, meaning Stallone might be finished with the franchise for good.

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

She Was Worried Damian Was A Bad Influence For Adonis

Before Mary-Anne Creed pᴀssed 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 and build a new life 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 thought 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

Adonis Was At The Top Of His Game & Dame Was Only Coming Back

When Adonis Creed became the world champion, there wasn’t much more he could accomplish in boxing. However, when Dame challenged him to defend his тιтle on live television, Adonis had no choice but to take his old friend up on his offer. Creed could have refused, but he was never someone who backed down from a fight, and he had a lot to prove to Damian and himself. Creed had to win the boxing match for many reasons — to defend his championship тιтle and pride and prove that he does not run away from a fight.

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 that winning the тιтle was earned and wasn’t some 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.

How Creed 3 Sets Up Creed 4

Michael B. Jordan Wants To Wait To Make Another Film

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 just begun his boxing career. With Creed III seeing Adonis retired, Creed 4 could follow his daughter, Amara Creed, as she begins her boxing career. Creed III confirmed that Amara was really into boxing and had even seen her father’s matches.

However, there is one thing that has become known about Creed IV. Rocky Balboa will not be back; he’s missing his second movie in a row. Sylvester Stallone said he is not up for appearing in the franchise as it has grown too dark for his tastes, and he is currently feuding with the film’s producer. Michael B. Jordan also said he has one condition on making the fourth movie:

Yeah, the fourth one, eventually, not sure when, but we left that door open to build on that franchise. My thing is like, I don’t wanna make a movie just to make it, give it a little time to breathe, make people want it, miss it a little bit. And when the time is right, I’ll drop in and do another one.

This means that Creed IV will likely arrive, but when remains as big of a mystery as to what story the film will tell.

Creed 3’s Ending Meaning Explained

Taking Accountability For One’s Actions

Creed III is about facing one’s past, standing up to it, and taking accountability for one’s actions. Throughout the film, Adonis faces 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 terms.

But he’s had to wade through many heavy emotions to do so. Adonis 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 can sort through the emotions he was previously unable to convey in words. Creed recognizes that he could have been there for his friend when he wasn’t and apologizing for it is character development. Creed is all the better for facing his past and truly moving on. It brings his story full circle.

How The Creed 3 Ending Was Received

The Movie Was Universally Loved

Creed III is a rare third movie in a trilogy that received almost universal acclaim, almost surpᴀssing what came before. Critics awarded it a Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes at 89%, and the audience Popcornmeter score was even higher at 95%. When discussing why they loved the movie, one audience member wrote, “Lots to praise but the stand out for me was the battle between the two main guys- it’s not “good vs evil”, but fighting for the right to be there and proving their self worth to themselves.“

Interestingly, Matt Singer of Screen Crush pointed out that the movie’s ending, and the fact that Dame lost but gained respect, makes it look like this was his Rocky story and not Apollo’s:

“Majors’ character is a lot closer in construction to Rocky Balboa, another down-on-his-luck underdog who wants to prove himself worthy of the big time. By extension, that comparison almost makes Adonis — the rich guy whose mansion is a veritable monument to himself — the Apollo of this story. So who is the hero and who is the villain here?”

This led to a Reddit thread where some commenters said they were cheering for Dame by the end. “Dame went about it the wrong way, but he had a right to be mad, and Donnie definitely owed him,” one Redditor said. “If nothing else he owed him a sH๏τ. Not only did Dame get locked up for having Donnie’s back, but Donnie abandoned him.” If anything, it seems like a Dame spinoff after Creed III might have a lot of fans waiting to see him finally get to reach the top the right way.