Creed III is less about physical act of boxing and action and more about teaching the audience about what the good boxing is and what it isn't. It's about a sport which requires a certain level of training and skill that takes years to master; it isn't just a brawl in the middle of the ring. For Adonis to really understand this, he must tap into his past and begin to heal before he can move on to being the husband and father he wants to be. Years of plunging himself into his work has distracted him from addressing real issues. This film definitely sees Adonis mature as a character. The film is about brotherhood - both Creed and Damian are hurt and forced to process their trauma in different, but also similar ways. The decision to not make the two fighters sworn enemies at the end of the story proves that the creators are aware of the bigger issues that men who are strangled by toxic masculinity have to handle in society, which proves to be more powerful.
Review of Creed III
