‘Creed III’ star Tessa Thompson remarks on the film’s championing of relationships

Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson know a thing or two about relationships, and as they embark together upon Creed III, they’ve grown in their professional and personal bonds together. It’s always apparent when viewers tune into a film if the cast and crew have formed connections of their own, and it’s clear that the Creed franchise has created lasting ones.

During a press conference for Creed III, Thompson spoke about how the heart of the films is truly in the relationships they showcase.

“I think the thing that I love about these films so much, and particularly in the first one, you really get to see Rocky and Adonis and Bianca make a little chosen family, you know? And that is the reality for a lot of folks. And so I think what I love about these films is they’re about relationships.”

It seems the easiest to understand the notion, yet it’s easily one of the most frequently overlooked — everything we do in this life deals with relationships. We are working through a series of connections at every twist, turn, up, and down of our lives. We’re in bonds with friends, loved ones, co-workers, and even those we share an experience with once; connections are formed, and they all have a way of shaping us.

Thompson says that the relationships, in all forms, are the film’s crux — and she loves what each one brings to the table. Of course, she particularly enjoys working with Jordan on the film, pressing forward across several chapters together. They get to love one another through them, as friends off-screen and partners within the film. Adonis and Bianca (Jordan and Thompson, respectively) will need one another more than ever before as our favorite boxer faces his most emotional rivalry yet, stepping into the ring against his childhood best friend, Damian.

“The relationship between mentor and mentee. The relationship between father and son, whether chosen or blood. The relationship between parents. The relationship between, you know, folks that have history, that can stand to learn from each other and unpack their trauma. So I love that I get to exist in this with Mike and that we get to push each other and love each other in the context of these films, and individually as friends. But I think it’s really about whoever your partner is, whoever is in the ring, the proverbial ring with you. And that can take on so many forms. And sometimes, it’s just you in the ring alone, and that’s okay too.”

Of course, there are times in our lives when the relationship propelling us forward is the one we’re examining within ourselves, and Thompson says that’s okay too. When we face ourselves in the ring, we can learn the most regarding what we’re capable of and what we’ll allow when we face adversaries.

You can examine these relationships and more in Creed III when it hits theaters on March 3, and you won’t want to miss a second of it.