The MCU ties in the upcoming third installment of the Rocky spin-off series, Creed III, have been highly discussed, but they go far deeper than they appear. There are some clear Creed III parallels to the Marvel universe, with stars Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors having prominent roles in the MCU. However, Creed III’s connections to the MCU go beyond these two actors, with the film weaving together Marvel heroes, villains, and more.
Creed III follows the story of Adonis Creed, the son of Apollo Creed, a former boxing champion who died in Rocky IV. Creed III will follow Adonis as he faces a new nemesis from his past, with Jonathan Majors’ enigmatic identity reappearing in his life and seeking to fight Adonis. Furthermore, Creed III will not feature Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa, implying that Adonis would face his former pal without the assistance of his long-time boxing trainer. Creed III will undoubtedly be a big film in its own right, but the project also brings together a slew of MCU actors.
Creed 3 Stars From The MCU
Six performers from the Marvel Cinematic Universe appear in Creed III. Michael B. Jordan plays Adonis Creed, but he also appears in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as Killmonger, the major villain of the MCU. Jonathan Majors plays Kang the Conqueror and his variants across numerous MCU productions, making him one of the MCU’s most famous villains. Tessa Thompson stars in Creed III after appearing in all three Creed films, but she also plays Valkyrie (aka King Brunnhilde) in Thor and Avengers: Endgame.
Other MCU stars appear in supporting roles in Creed III. Florian Munteanu plays Viktor Drago in Creed II and will reprise his role in Creed III, as well as the minor villain Razor Fist in Shang-Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings. Selenis Levya plays Monica Warren, a physics teacher, in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Finally, Wood Harris appears in Creed III as Officer Gale in Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, as well as in the MCU.
Why Are There So Many Marvel Actors in Creed 3?
Kang, Killmonger, and other MCU actors appear in Creed III, but this was most likely not a planned decision. It’s more likely that, at this point, there aren’t many actors who haven’t previously been in the MCU. The MCU has been running since 2008, and with 30 movies, many TV shows, and other specials, there aren’t many actors the series hasn’t used. The MCU requires a large number of actors for a variety of projects. Almost every new major film, not just Creed III, has a handful of Marvel alumni.