The Creed movies need to have their own special vibes too, and it sounds like Steven Caple Jr. realized it was important for Creed II to build on the themes what Creed brought in.
So while there are definitely similarities between Creed II and Rocky IV, Caple made an effort to ensure that the sequel was starting to establish its own legacy, which even more appropriate given the movie’s subject matter.
But in order for the Creed film series to stand out as special compared to its predecessors, it’s not enough to just channel the same kind of vibes the Rocky movies had.