Creed 2 Trailer Reaction: 6 Ups & 3 Downs

5. The Direction Looks Slick & Thrilling

There's a lot of understandable worry about Creed director Ryan Coogler not returning to helm the sequel, as scheduling conflicts with Black Panther made him unable to shoot both films.

However, Coogler is an executive producer on Creed 2 and had a hand in picking his replacement, Steven Caple Jr. (The Land), for the sequel.

While it's reasonable to expect Creed 2 to feel less-assured without Coogler at the helm, the trailer nevertheless convinces that Caple Jr.'s got a firm handle on the style and tone established by his predecessor.

The visuals look splendid, and while we don't know yet if the movie will feature a single-take boxing sequence just as the first Creed did, the in-ring action looks crisp and riveting. It's one less thing to worry about, basically.