‘Creed’ trailer: Michael B. Jordan has Rocky in his corner

Michael B. Jordan steps into the ring and takes over as the new face of the “Rocky� franchise in the first trailer for “Creed,� the next-generation boxing drama focusing on the son of Rocky Balboa’s greatest rival.

Set for release the day before Thanksgiving, “Creed� stars Jordan as Adonis Creed, son of the late heavyweight champ Apollo Creed (originally played by Carl Weathers), who died in the ring in “Rocky IV� and thus never met his progeny.

With boxing in his blood and a chip on his shoulder, Adonis has grown up to be a promising young fighter in his own right, one with a fraught understanding of his old man’s legacy. When a local trainer (Wood Harris) reminds him of his father’s fate, Adonis replies, “I don’t know him. Ain’t got nothing to do with me.� He adds, “I’ve been fighting my whole life. It’s not a choice for me.�

Adonis’ training eventually takes him to the doorstep (or rather, the restaurant) of Rocky “The Italian Stallion� Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), who was a great opponent to Apollo in the ring and a great friend outside of it. What better mentor could a young fighter hope for?

Like his on-screen counterpart, Jordan also has a key collaborator in his corner: namely, director and co-writer Ryan Coogler, with whom he made the critically acclaimed fact-based drama “Fruitvale Station� in 2013.

It’s too early to crown “Creed� a champ based on 2-1/2 minutes of footage, but the tightly constructed trailer does suggest that Coogler and Jordan are putting their own stamp on the “Rocky� series rather than just rehashing its greatest hits (most of which came in the earlier films). That said, fans of the franchise will no doubt get a kick out of callbacks like Adonis donning his father’s trademark stars-and-stripes trunks in one scene and Rocky’s utilitarian gray sweatsuit in another.

From the looks of things, “Creed� has more than a puncher’s chance at success.

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