Creed 2's First Poster Is Here; Trailer Releases Soon [Update]

The success of 2015's sporting drama Creed not only revitalised the seemingly retired Rocky movie franchise, it also paved the way for director Ryan Coogler's Marvel blockbuster Black Panther. Inevitably Creed II is on the way, and while Coogler isn't returning, star Michael B. Jordan is, alongside Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa. The trailer for Creed II is expected this week, and ahead of that we have the first poster. [Update: The Creed II trailer has now arrived.]

It's a simple and striking black-and-white poster, which shows Jordan as Adonis Creed, standing in front of a giant roman numeral 2. The caption reads "Know his name"--check it out below:

Creed II is directed by Steven Caple Jr., who previously made the acclaimed 2016 indie hit The Land. Stallone himself was originally set to direct--as well as co-write--the movie, but he ultimately stepped aside. In December, the action icon explained this decision, stating that it was important for the director to be "part of this generation like I was in mine, to make the story as relatable as possible."

While we don't yet know many plot details about Creed II, we know that Dolph Lundgen is set to reprise his role as Ivan Drago from 1985's Rocky IV. In that movie, Drago killed Creed's father Apollo in the ring, which Creed II co-writer Cheo Hodari Coker recently suggested would play a part in the new movie.

"It's about the legacies of sons haunted by their fathers," Coker said, via Movieweb. "Even though Drago is alive, his son is haunted by him because Drago is a broken man who's trying to rebuild himself through the son. Apollo Creed isn't broken but because Apollo died, Adonis Creed is still haunted by his father's death and how it defined him, what it is it means now to be a champion. He's aspiring to be a champion but also at the same time trying to figure out who it is he is."

Stallone won a Golden Globe for his performance as the aging Rocky in Creed and also received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. The movie made $173.6 million at the worldwide box office. Creed II hits theaters on November 21.