‘Creed III’ star Tessa Thompson reflects on her character’s ‘softening’ arc

Actress Tessa Thompson recently shared why she was adamant about changing her Creed character’s arc in the film’s third installment. 

In 2015, at the franchise’s start, fans were introduced to Thompson’s character Bianca Taylor. Taylor is a singer with a hearing impairment who ultimately falls in love with boxer Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan). As the franchise progressed, Thompson and Jordan’s characters‘ lives gradually transitioned as they married and became parents. 

During a press conference attended by We Got This Covered for the highly anticipated release of Creed III, Thompson stated that she was interested in seeing her character’s arc soften — despite previously having a “tough and guarded” exterior in the past — over time because of the overall changes she has gone through in the film. The 39-year-old mentioned how she addressed this to Jordan and Creed director Ryan Coogler, 

“I actually was really interested in this time around getting to see a softening from her. I think something that’s always been interesting, and I remember Ryan and I would have conversations on the first one, was like chipping away at this exterior that was outwardly very, very tough and guarded, in a way. And I think over the course of the films, we’ve seen that soften. I think motherhood is something that has softened her tremendously. But I felt very grateful because there was an idea that I had to Mike, you know, of him saying to Bianca, you know, that your emotions, for example, come so easy to you.”

Later, Thompson listed another reason why it was essential to have the character changes in Taylor was because she wanted to show viewers how hard it is to, at times, be the “backbone” of the family, especially as a Black woman with a high-profile partner. Thompson shared that because stereotypically, Black women in society are often looked to as strong individuals, many people disregard that sometimes having that strong exterior doesn’t come easy. The Thor: Love & Thunder star explained:

“And this idea of her actually being, like, no, it’s actually challenging. This is challenging for me. It’s not easy for me. And I think so often there is this idea, particularly of Black womanhood, that has to do with strength. That we are the pillars of our community. That we are the backbones of our family. That we lift our men up. And that’s beautiful. And that is very often true. And also, it is not, not hard-earned. You know? And it’s not easy. And I really wanted her to have the opportunity to say that. And I felt very grateful that Mike felt open to it, and, you know, was like, ‘Can I try this?’ You know, and that it gets to exit in the film. Because for me, I feel like that, it feels like an honest portrayal of her that she gets to also unravel some.”

Aside from Thompson’s character changes in Creed III, fans will also see plenty of firsts in the upcoming project. It includes Jordan making his directorial debut, and this will be the first Creed film without actor Sylvester Stallone. 

Creed III is set to debut in theaters on March 3.