In the first trailer for Creed II, the iconic character (played by Sylvester Stallone) was noticeably absent from the actual boxing scenes, instead seen mourning his late wife or worrying about Adonis’ (Michael B. Jordan) safety in the ring. But in the first official photos from the upcoming sequel, the boxer-turned-trainer returns to his roots.

Directed by Steven Caple Jr. and written by Stallone, the sequel to the hit 2015 film finds Adonis Creed fighting for redemption and his family’s legacy when he takes on Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), the son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), who killed Adonis’ father during a match in Rocky IV. And while he’s training with Balboa in the first photo, Adonis’ mentor doesn’t appear to be present in his corner as he prepares to fight in a second photo.

Creed II, which also stars Tessa Thompson, opens in theaters on Nov. 21.