There are some great actor-director duos whose work consistently results in blockbusters or critical acclaim (often both). Think of John Carpenterand Kurt Russell, whose partnership gave us Escape From New York and The Thing; Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro, who gave us flicks like Taxi Driver and Raging Bull; or Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, who gave us iconic features like Saving Private Ryan and Catch Me If You Can.
In contemporary times, Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler are emerging as a partnership that fans should look out for. The duo recently released Sinners, which redefined the vampire genre by effortlessly fusing themes ofidentity and trauma with music. The duo also worked together on Black Panther, giving us one of the most compelling villains in the MCU. Nonetheless, they are best known for creating the Creedfranchise.
In 2015, Coogler and Jordan collaborated on a spin-off of Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky, Creed. Coogler took on the first feature and the mighty task of introducing Adonis (Jordan) as he tracks down a retired Rocky Balboa (Stallone) in Philadelphia to ask for training. The movie was a big hit thanks to many nostalgic elements, grossing $173 million worldwide on a $40 million budget. It received widespread acclaim for Coogler’s direction, the screenplay, and acting performances. Its success was followed up with Creed II, which takes Adonis’ story forward in a compelling way.
In Creed II, Adonis faces off against the son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), who was responsible for the death of Adonis’ father, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), some thirty-three years earlier. Directed by Steven Caple Jr., the movie was an even bigger success, earning $214 million at the box office on a $50 million budget. The 83% Rotten Tomatoes-rated movie is universally loved for its fight sequences and strong character development. Creed III brought Jordan to the director’s chair as the movie packs some serious gut punches and proves a worthy addition to the Creed universe. Like its predecessors, the film was a box office success, grossing over $276 million worldwide. It further earned an 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the audience giving it an even higher 95%.
Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive? The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars
Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you’d actually make it out of alive.
💊The Matrix
🔥Mad Max
🌧️Blade Runner
🏜️Dune
🚀Star Wars
01
You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do? The first instinct is often the truest one.
02
In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely? What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.
03
What kind of threat keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.
04
How do you deal with authority you don’t trust? Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.
05
Which environment could you actually endure long-term? Survival isn’t just tactical — it’s physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.
06
Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart? The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.
07
Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all? Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they’re actually made of.
08
What would actually make survival worth it? Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.
Your Fate Has Been Calculated You’d Survive In…
Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.
The Resistance, Zion
The Matrix
You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.
You’re drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
You’d find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines’ worst nightmare.
You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
The Matrix built an airtight prison. You’d be the one probing the walls for the door.
The Wasteland
Mad Max
The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.
You don’t need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you’re good at all three.
You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.
Los Angeles, 2049
Blade Runner
You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.
You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
You’re not a hero. But you’re not lost, either.
In Blade Runner’s world, that distinction is everything.
Arrakis
Dune
Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.
Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they’re survival tools.
You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You’d learn its logic and earn its respect.
In time, you wouldn’t just survive Arrakis — you’d begin to reshape it.
A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Star Wars
The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.
You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
You’d gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire’s grip can be broken.
You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn’t something you’re capable of.
In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.
The ‘Creed’ Franchise Has a New Home
Fans who’d love to revisit the franchise are in luck. The Creed franchise is now available on Netflix, as per CBR. The franchise not only has a great premise but over the course of three movies, it has made its characters really relatable at every stage of life. Further, with performers like Tessa Thompson, Stallone, and Jonathan Majors, the franchise keeps fans on the edge of their seats.
