Audiences will need to wait just a few extra months to see Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) return to the ring, as MGM has bumped Creed III from November of this year to March 3, 2023. The sequel will mark Jordan's directorial debut, following in the footsteps of Ryan Coogler and Steven Caple Jr. from the previous films. Notably, this will also be the first Creed film without the "Italian Stallion" himself, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone).

The March 3, 2023 date puts Creed III in direct competition with Paramount's Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. While there's certainly some small overlap in audiences, it's a smart move of counter-programming to pit a sports film in Creed III against a more fantastical property like Dungeons and Dragons. The reason for the move is not known, though if it results in a successful third outing for the series, audiences should have no qualms with that.

Creed III is written by Keenan Coogler (Fruitvale Station) and Zach Baylin (King Richard), and plot details are currently not known. Returning alongside Jordan in the film are Tessa Thompson as Creed's fiancé Bianca and Phylicia Rashad as Creed's stepmother Mary Anne. Jonathan Majors, who is soon set to appear as Kang the Conquerer in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, will be the competitor to Creed in the ring. Some set photos showed just how much muscle Majors put on for his role, and he could easily become Creed's most difficult competitor.

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Image via Warner Bros.

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The first Creed film was released in 2015 and covered Creed exploring the legacy of his father, Apollo (Carl Weathers), who was killed in the ring by Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren). He enlisted the training of none other than Rocky (Stallone), whose initial reluctance soon evolves into an eventual paternal bond. Creed II furthered the fame and recognition Creed earned at the end of the first film. He squared off against the son of Drago, Viktor (Florian Munteanu). Prior to this news, MGM revealed that a Drago spinoff film is in the works with screenwriter Robert Lawton. Details are sparse, though it's expected to cover the life of both Ivan and Viktor.

Creed III"s move leaves MGM with five films left for the release year, with two of those films simultaneously premiering on Amazon Prime Video in Ron Howard's Thirteen Lives and Stallone's long-delayed superhero film Samaritan. George Miller will also release his film Three Thousand Years of Longing, which stars Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba. The studio also has Dark Harvest and Bones & All set for release this fall.

Creed III will hit theaters on March 3, 2023.