How to Watch the Rocky Movies in Order Now That 'Creed III' Is on VOD
Gonna fly now!
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You hear the iconic fanfare. Your heart swells. You're ready to marathon — not up the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, but all of the Rocky and Creed movies from the comfort of your couch. There's less sweat involved that way.
It's a good time to do a complete Rocky re-watch, now that Creed III, one of the most anticipated movies of 2023, is streaming on VOD. Right now, it's still at the premium rental prices ($20 to rent and $25 to buy), but perhaps by the time you finish watching the rest of the Rocky movies in order, it'll be included with a streaming service.
More good news: The order of the Rocky movies is pretty straightforward. There's one timeline and one chronology. Everything pretty much moves forward in time — no prequels or reboots — so the best way to watch them all is in the order of their release.
Where to watch them, on the other hand, is another story. The franchise has bounced back and forth between MGM and Warner Bros., which means the movies are not all available to stream in one location. They're spread out between Amazon Prime Video (many of the Rocky films are from MGM, which was purchased by Amazon), Netflix (which has most of the original Rocky movies), HBO Max (which has the first couple of Creed movies) and MGM+ (formerly Epix).
If that seems confusing, we've broken down where and how to stream the Rocky movies in order. So grab your popcorn and pull up a "ringside" seat for some of the most inspirational sports movies out there. Then, when you're done, you can move on to the Indiana Jones movies in order, the Spider-Man movies in order and the Marvel movies in order before those other big franchises also release new entries in 2023.
Rocky (1976)
Just like Rocky Balboa, Sylvester Stallone was an underdog in getting this whole franchise off the ground: Stallone, who wrote the script himself, refused to let anyone else take the lead role, and many studios were wary of hanging the movie on such an unknown star. It paid off for Stallone and for Rocky, which was both a huge box office success and brought home the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Rocky II (1979)
Riding high on Rocky's success, Stallone added another title to his credits: director. In this one, Balboa agrees to a re-match with his rival from the previous film, Apollo Creed, played by the inimitable Carl Weathers.
Rocky III (1982)
In the third Rocky film, also directed by Stallone, Balboa is taunted into agreeing to a match by heavyweight contender Clubber Lang (played by Mr. T). Can he keep his title when his challenger is younger, stronger and hungrier than he is? Perhaps — with a little help and training from his former rival, Apollo Creed.
Rocky IV (1985)
Rocky IV came out during the waning years of the Cold War, so it's no surprise that Balboa's opponent, Ivan Drago, is the embodiment of Soviet Russia. Balboa agrees to fight Drago in the Soviet Union on Christmas Day, and the pride of both countries hang in the balance. Dolph Lundgren enters the ring as Drago, who is almost machine-like in his strength and skill. This movie also has the best Rocky subplot: Balboa buys a robot for his friend and brother-in-law, Paulie. (Oh, the '80s!)
Rocky V (1990)
After a run of three Stallone-directed films, John G. Avildsen, helmer of the original Rocky, returned to direct this one. It finds an older Balboa, now with a teenaged son, transitioning from fighter to mentor a la Mickey. Only it doesn't last long since his new protégé, Tommy Gunn, lures Balboa back into the ring.
Rocky Balboa (2006)
After a decade and a half without a Rocky movie, you think you can count him out? Wrong! In this one, a 60-year-old Balboa, who traded in his boxing gloves for the life of a restaurateur, is enticed to fight yet again. Can a hexagenarian go toe-to-toe with another, much younger contender?
Creed (2015)
Almost a decade after Rocky Balboa, the Rocky franchise was revived again. This time, the action focuses on Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), son of Apollo Creed. When he wants to follow in his father's footsteps, he turns to Balboa for training. While Stallone appears in this movie, it's directed by Black Panther's Ryan Coogler, who also co-wrote the script.
Creed II (2018)
Coogler and Jordan re-unite for this Creed sequel, which also sees Stallone return in his mentor role. This time, Adonis has to balance his career as a big-time fighter with his life outside the ring. The two come to a head when a figure from his father's past returns and challenges him to a fight.
Creed III
For the most recent Creed installment, which came out in theaters in March 2023, Adonis Creed is challenged by a person who represents what Creed's life would've been like if he had made different choices and had fewer lucky breaks. This one features another set of behind-the-camera lineup changes: Coogler steps out from this movie, and Jordan steps up to direct his first Creed film. (Stallone is also out — not even a cameo.) You can buy or rent the film now on premium VOD.
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
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