Michael B. Jordan explains why Creed 3 is the right film for him to make his directorial debut with.
With the increasing demand for Hollywood movie sequels and remakes, the Rocky franchise was considered for a comeback a number of times before finally being reinvigorated with 2015’s Creed. The film brought rising star Michael B. Jordan in to join his previous collaborator and friend Ryan Coogler, and Rocky himself, Sylvester Stallone, and play the role of Adonis Johnson, Apollo Creed’s son. The film saw Stallone’s Rocky Balboa train Johnson, bringing about a new generation for the veteran fighter’s legacy to live on as well as create a future for the franchise. Creed was met with critical acclaim and even a Best Supporting Actor win for Stallone. The movie’s financial success also secured a sequel and Creed 2 was released in 2018 to much the same effect.
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Stallone has previously confirmed that he is done with Rocky Balboa and will therefore not be appearing in Creed 3. The 74-year-old actor has now passed the torch firmly on to Jordan who will be taking the franchise forward both behind, and in font, of the camera. Jordan seems to be confident and excited to take on directing duties for the upcoming third instalment, feeling that he has learned a lot about the task of being both actor and director simultaneously. He cites his mentors in this area from Denzel Washington, to Ben Affleck.
In his conversation with Esquire, Jordan spoke about these teachers and influencers, and stated his case for why he thinks Creed 3 is the right film with which to make his directorial debut:
“It’s the only character that I’m coming back to play three times. It’s a world that I know. I know the process to shoot these movies. I know the character. And I have a clear vision of where I want the worlds to go. Everything kind of panned out for me to step behind the camera on this one, so I’m running towards it. And definitely a lot of knowledge and a lot of gems of wisdom and tips from everybody – from most recently Denzel (Washington), to Ryan (Coogler), to David O’Russell, Ben Affleck, Stefano. I’ve been slowly learning. I’m a sponge, so I’m always learning from project to project, and it’s all been slowly preparing me this moment.”
Jordan quite rightly points out that he’s spent quite a lot of time in the world of the Creed movies and with the character of Adonis Johnson. The main task that he will face is trying to continue the fantastic balance that his predecessor Ryan Coogler struck between the heartfelt character drama and the much more frantic and physical fight sequences. What Jordan does with Creed 3 will likely determine the possibility of further Creed, or Rocky-based, films beyond the current trilogy. It’ll be exciting to see what the 34-year-old will bring to the table with Creed 3.
Creed 3 is currently scheduled for release on November 23rd, 2022
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