Creed

Michael B. Jordan talks about what he wants his next directing project to be, following his directorial debut with Creed III.

[Jonathan Majors](https://collider.com/tag/jonathan-majors/)' performances but also marks a great start to Jordan's career as a director. One topic discussed was how Jordan sees his future as a director following this film, to which the actor-director said that while no plans are set in stone yet, he does have a few ideas and there have been others with an interest in him helming another project. Jordan truly left his mark on the franchise as its flag bearer going forward as its leading man playing the film's titular character, but the latest installment [Creed III](https://collider.com/tag/creed-3/) sees Jordan also stepping behind the camera in his directorial debut.

It's even more daunting when you factor in that Michael B. Jordan is not only making his directorial debut but also starring in the film, leaving one to ...

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From “Dragon Ball Z” to “Naruto,” the first time director talks about how his visual storytelling was influenced by Japanese anime series.

“I thought that was the perfect kind of like world to take Adonis and Damien to,” he said. The Phantom is responsible for that “DBZ” back-spray moment, but Jordan and Morgenthau also relied on the Bolt, a high-speed robotic arm that can move a camera faster than a human arm and with programmable precision, to capture the violent ballet of movement in the ring. It’s in this poetic space, a void in the middle of everything that’s happening, where Jordan gets to play out Adonis and Damien’s relationship. Through extreme close-ups, canted angles, and stylized, over-cranked shots, the film creates this “poetic quality of the images where they don’t have to be linear,” Morgenthau said. It supplies insight and exposition that points the audience toward what to anticipate, and give the boxing scenes a sense of momentum. I wanted to see how evolved he was in the beginning of the movie. “We used the Phantom, which is a military, industrial camera that was adapted for cinema, and it does ultra slow motion and then you can ramp it around.” “I love the thought process of anime, the internal dialog, and seeing the world through how [characters] think. “I needed to show the smarts of Adonis. This comes with a particular way that time moves in an anime fight, slowing down and isolating particular parts of the body to show the fighters’ thought process, or having whole character exchanges take place in the wind-up to a punch. Jordan](https://www.indiewire.com/t/michael-b-jordan/), the franchise’s star who took on directing duties for the first time, had a new language that he wanted to bring the story of how Adonis, at the peak of his fighting powers, confronts the violence of his past: anime. Jordan has been a long-time anime fan, both of the style and the kinds of stories embraced by Japanese animation.

Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors face off in a boxing story told with style, taste and respect for the audience.

Jordan succumbs to one moment of maudlin sentimentality, at the deathbed of a beloved character, and during a climactic sequence he does some interesting stuff with magical realism when a bloodthirsty crowd disappears and the ropes of a boxing ring turn into prison walls. Not only does he subvert the hypermasculine world of boxing with the welcome presence of Leyva and real-life trainer Ann “Mitt Queen” Najjar, but he casts Damian perfectly with Majors. One of these home scenes exemplifies the genuine emotions that pervade the “Creed” enterprise, when Bianca confesses the pain of having to let go of her dreams as a performer. As one character says in “Creed III,” everyone loves a comeback story — and that’s been the spine of “Rocky” and its offspring since Sylvester Stallone first ran up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Jordan calibrates the competing emotions with direct, unfussy skill, allowing “Creed III” to unfold in ways that don’t necessarily break the mold but prove enormously satisfying nonetheless. Jordan makes his directing debut with “Creed III,” and he has clearly taken a page from Coogler, who is a credited screenwriter along with Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin.

Michael B. Jordan addresses whether Creed 3 will be the last movie in the popular Rocky spinoff franchise and how the universe can still be expanded.

It remains to be seen how the universe will expand beyond Creed 3, but Jordan evidently has high hopes for his character and the world of the films more generally. It remains to be seen how Majors' new character will be received in Creed 3, but a TV show exploring Damian's origins could potentially be a hit. [Creed 3 release date](https://screenrant.com/creed-3-release-date-story-details/) approaches, Jordan addresses how he hopes to continue the Rocky universe of films in an interview with [Extra](https://extratv.com/2023/02/27/creed-iii-star-michael-b-jordan-on-his-directorial-debut-and-possible-4th-movie-exclusive/).

Jordan, who stars in Creed III alongside Ant-Man's Jonathan Majors, says favorites like Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, and My Hero Academia shaped his boxing movie.

I could go on in a lot of different ways, but I think those are the ones that really stick out to me the most, and why I think they resonate with a lot of other people as well, too. It’s just about these two guys and nobody else, and the void is a way that idea is communicated through anime. The importance of keeping your promises; of being able to say, “I’m sorry”; the importance of the bonds and friendships you make when you’re coming up. See, this is why I love anime, because after watching a lot of anime, your mind will go to those comparisons, and now you can put those things together and make it personal for you. It’s this piece of camera equipment which is basically, like, a mechanical arm like the ones they use on car assembly lines — you know, the ones that weld all the pieces of the frame together, and then the next car goes up. Usually, you’d go into an internal dialogue, a thought process of whoever the character is as they’re getting ready to plot, and you’re letting the audience know [laughs] You know, as an actor, you find ways to bring a piece of yourself and your reality to these characters and make them real and relatable as much as you can. [Gunpla model figure](https://www.polygon.com/guides/22653114/gunpla-gundam-models-hobby) on his dresser; a [Robotech](https://www.polygon.com/2019/7/19/20700661/robotech-streaming-free-sdcc-2019) poster on the wall behind his door; and a screen-printed Naruto banner hanging off the side of his desk, to name a few. I just have a highlight reel of moments from my favorite anime constantly running through my head that, you know, if it makes sense and it fits with the movie, I just pull from that for inspiration. These are just some of the ones I watch, but these points are interchangeable across a lot of different anime. So when I was in preproduction and putting together the fight choreography, it was just second nature to me to reach for that. Polygon: While doing press for Creed III, you’ve said there’s a punch in the fight between Adonis and Damian that’s a reference to Dragon Ball Z.

Showtimes from Friday, March 3 to Thursday, March 9. Boxer Adonis Creed is back and must put his future on the line to battle Dame – a fighter who has ...

This is the first film in the series without Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, though he still serves as a producer. This Friday, March 3 the Creed IIIcomes to the big screen in Palma. After the events of Creed II (2018), Adonis "Donnie" Creed is thriving in both his boxing career and family life.

As Creed III is released in cinemas, Michael B Jordan has said that he wants to build the "universe" of the boxing franchise with more movies.

BOOM!](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/tick-tick-boom-review-netflix/)). For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to [The Radio Times Podcast](https://www.radiotimes.com/audio/podcasts/). I wanted to let them know that I wasn’t doing it just to do the job. Jordan continued: “Every day I tried to show up and I wanted to impress them. [Film](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/) coverage or visit our [TV Guide](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/tv-listings/) and [Streaming Guide](https://www.radiotimes.com/streaming-guide/) to find out what's on. I couldn’t have done that without the people that I just named in this incredible, incredible cast. [Thor: Love and Thunder](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/thor-love-and-thunder-review/)), Wood Harris (Winning Time), Florian Munteanu ( [Shang-Chi](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/shang-chi-2-sequel-release/)) and Phylicia Rashad ( [Tick, Tick... [terms and conditions](https://www.immediate.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/) and [privacy policy](https://policies.immediate.co.uk/privacy/). [The Tourist season 2 twist revealed as filming set to begin in April](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/the-tourist-season-2-filming-newsupdate/) [The Diplomat stars on how “timely” series tackles Brexit and British Empire](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/the-diplomat-alibi-brexit-empire-exclusive-newsupdate/) [Deadline](https://deadline.com/2023/02/michael-b-jordan-teases-creed-universe-creed-iii-premiere-directorial-debut-team-effort-1235273856/) that he's "excited" to continue expanding the world of the films. [Creed III](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/creed-3-release-date/) is the first entry in the franchise not to feature Stallone, but makes up for that loss with the addition of Jonathan Majors ( [Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/ant-man-and-the-wasp-quantumania-review/), Lovecraft Country) as formidable new opponent Damian Anderson. [Subscribe to Radio Times magazine and get 12 issues for £1](https://www.radiotimes.com/magazine-subscription/?utm_term=evergreen-article)

Creed III director and star Michael B. Jordan cannot wait to get started on expanding the franchise.

Jordan](https://movieweb.com/person/michael-b-jordan/) is eager to build the [Creed](https://movieweb.com/movie/creed/) universe following the release of the upcoming sequel, Creed III. Jordan](https://movieweb.com/creed-3-director-michael-b-jordan-reveals-the-advice-given-to-him-by-jon-favreau/) from a screenplay by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin, and from a story they co-wrote with Ryan Coogler, Creed III stars Michael B. [though it has been revealed that there is currently a Drago spinoff in the works](https://movieweb.com/creed-spinoff-movie-drago-development-mgm-writer-robert-lawton/). But when a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian "Dame" Anderson, resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. Jordan lands haymakers and heart in a predictable sequel that punches above its script.” Speaking with [Deadline](https://twitter.com/DEADLINE) on the red carpet, Jordan confirmed (and not for the first time) his plans for crafting a Creed franchise.

In Part 3, an old ex-con and Golden Gloves boxer friend of Adonis Creed's, Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors in his second big film on the marquee now), comes ...

Simply put the $50M production got [stuck in the STX financial restructuring limbo](https://deadline.com/2022/11/adam-driver-daisy-ridley-micheal-mann-guy-ritchie-movies-stx-distribution-ferrari-1235169849/) and was locked up at the bank. [just two weeks ago](https://deadline.com/2023/02/operation-fortune-ruse-de-guerre-release-date-lionsgate-1235257974/)? release (the pic is streaming in Canada). Lionsgate’s Jesus Revolution, with a running cume of $17.1M, should see another $8M this weekend, -50%. In Part 3, an old ex-con and Golden Gloves boxer friend of Adonis Creed’s, Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors in his second big film on the marquee now), comes back into his life. Creed II pulled in 66% under-35 and a diverse range of 38% Caucasian, 29% African American, 22% Hispanic/Latino and 6% Asian. The threequel cost $75M before P&A and is tracking strong with Black audiences and guys, and in particular younger-skewing audiences. The movie is booked at 2,150 theaters and is only getting a U.S. Previous Creed pics played during the Thanksgiving frame in 2015 and 2018, respectively opening to $29M ($42.1M 5-day) and $35.5M ($56M 5-day) off of A CinemaScores. Already, Creed III is 90% certified fresh with Rotten Tomatoes critics, which is higher than Creed II‘s 83% fresh and a bit lower than Creed‘s 95%. Jordan, eyes a potential franchise-high opening for the Rocky spinoff about Apollo Creed’s son with a $38M-$40M bow at 4,007 theaters. Jordan’s Directing](https://deadline.com/2023/02/creed-iii-review-jonathan-majors-michael-b-jordan-1235269671/)

Rocky Balboa doesn't show up, but his well-worn Rocky formula is still intricately woven through Creed III's narrative fabric.

Dame and Donnie have a couple glasses of cognac. Jordan) must pound himself back into fighting shape to take on a foe he never wanted to face and to protect the family he loves. Donnie gets dragged off the man by a group of guys who punch and kick him. A boxer is hit with a club at a party and has his wrist broken. And Donnie has a few of those. Amid those activities and others, Donnie collapses in exhaustion as he struggles to rebuild his fighting stamina. People drink champagne, hard alcohol and wine at a couple different celebrations. We also see Bianca dressed in nightwear that includes a t-shirt and short shorts. And Donnie is ultimately going pay. And if that means a little dirty fighting inside or outside the ring, then so be it. Things Donnie has done in the past. And that suits Donnie just fine.

Read our guide to watching Creed III (2023), the latest installment in the Rocky franchise.

Most importantly, the film explores the theme of fatherhood due to the overbearing relationship between Viktor and Ivan along with Donnie still dealing with his deceased father's legacy, and his own journey with becoming a father when he is expecting his first child with Bianca. Creed II (2018): Following the bittersweet ending of the first movie, Donnie has worked his way up to become a heavyweight champion during the three years between films. By 2015, Donnie has grown up and left his finance job to follow in his father's footsteps and enter the professional boxing world. Only when Damian challenges Donnie to a match does he realize that his reputation is on the line along with the emotional baggage of their abandoned friendship, their pasts, and who they are now after all this time. Here's what you need to know about the previous films and where you can watch them before you catch the latest addition: [IMAX](https://collider.com/tag/imax/), making it the first-ever sports movie to be shot with IMAX cameras. Feeling on top of the world, Donnie is suddenly grounded by the return of Damian Anderson, an old friend who he used to get in trouble with when they were kids. Jordan has led the story as Adonis "Donnie" Creed, the tough but lovable underdog who aspires to uphold the legacy of his father, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), and made his own name. [final trailer](https://collider.com/creed-3-trailer-michael-b-jordan/) came out on February 15, 2023, following the Super Bowl. In terms of the streaming release, Creed III will most likely follow the 45-day theatrical window before being available to stream online. Wood Harris (Empire) and Florian Munteanu (Shang Chi: The Legend of the Ten Rings) also return as Tony "Little Duke" Burton, Donnie's trainer, and Viktor Drago, Donnie's previous rival from Creed II. Following the work of Ryan Coogler (Black Panther) and Steven Caple Jr.

The film begins with a flashback to the boys' childhood, when Creed sneaks out of his house to see Anderson's boxing fight. At the time, Anderson was a ...

Rocky III might not be the best sequel in the Rocky/Creed universe, but it has the best villain: Clubber Lang. And it seems Mr. T's shadow looms again in ...

Damien is a very specific and personal figure for Adonis to deal with, instead of just being another stock legacy kid–another son of a more famous character in the Rockyverse. The myth of Rocky was hollow, so Rocky and Apollo work to re-construct Rocky to actually live up to the myth, to be the man deserving and worthy of that statue, who can take on Lang and survive. Which is why Creed III seems to be giving us Jonathan Majors’ Damien Anderson, the childhood best-friend of Adonis, who poses a “what if?” He too casts doubt and now questions the very myth and foundations of Adonis Creed and his existence, and reframes Adonis as the man on top, as opposed to the underdog. Damien is the guy who was in prison for 18 years, who lost everything, his dreams, his life that could have and should have been, and he had no one. [Eye Of The Tiger](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZldDvunHQd0)” song opener, and a proper, meaningful villain who has a point and provides a true challenge to the series. Drago, who killed his father, remains the shadow that haunts Adonis’ story and world; the one and final figure left to take on if Adonis is to prove himself and cement a legacy that’s not beneath his father, but alongside him. It’s Rocky having to find synthesis and move forward in a way he has never had to before. Lang does not simply suffer from a bruised ego like Apollo in Rocky II, and nor is he the inhuman death-machine and cyborg that Dolph Lundgren’s Ivan Drago would later prove to be in Rocky IV. And the narrative is about Rocky realizing it and then having to reckon with that. And a huge part of that is because of Rocky III. T, Lang takes the role of Rocky in the previous movies. The charming ally who Rocky had a back and forth with.

At the beginning of Creed III, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has retired from boxing at the top of his career, as heavyweight champion of the world.

It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, owing much to its predecessors in the Rocky and Creed series in story structure and character development. In the early scenes they sell the blissful existence of the Creeds, something that could’ve quickly become cloying. Majors takes it and gives the audience a memorable movie moment. And Jordan cedes it completely to Majors, showing his generosity as a performer and a director. By the time the full story is revealed, though, it has lost most of its significance and the psychological payoff for the character is less impactful. The scene is a tad cartoonish but also highly entertaining with shades of comic book villainy. [Respect](https://www.avclub.com/film/reviews/respect-2021)) film the boxing scenes with an intimacy that gives the audience a real sense of the arena and the athletes inside it. There’s a scene about halfway through the film where Anderson reveals his true colors to Creed. That is, he retains the series’ visceral feel for the boxing scenes. Here he uses some aesthetic flourishes in the boxing scenes, but he mostly sticks to what has worked in previous iterations. Otherwise there wouldn’t be a third installment of this successful spinoff of the Rocky franchise. However, there’s no doubt, even for a second, that he’ll be back in the ring.

The violent grudge match is over. Adonis Creed, son of former heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, has defeated Viktor Drago, the son of the Russian boxer ...

The death of Boseman, who had swiftly become one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors, was a devastating blow to fans and those who worked with him on “Black Panther,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Da 5 Bloods” and other projects. “There’s something nice about returning over the course of nine years to a couple you can really bet on.” In a [subsequent interview](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/sylvester-stallone-interview-rocky-rambo-tulsa-king-1235254384/) with the Hollywood Reporter, Stallone called his absence from the film “a regretful situation”: “It was taken in a direction that is quite different than I would’ve taken it. Majors, in a separate interview, called Jordan “ one of the last movie stars. “My job is to focus on the work, the story, the character, all these things that are in play, and not take any of this other stuff personally. If and when Stallone wants to be a part of this, publicly or privately, I’ll always be here with open arms and a warm smile, like it’s always been.” He was driven to follow his artistic instincts in taking the “Rocky” franchise in a new and more topical direction, aware that the challenges would be formidable. He is already thinking about creating a “Creed-verse”: “You will see more of Creed in various different forms. “The only way to tell that story was, first of all, make it feel like an origin story, a sequel and part of the trilogy all in one,” said Jordan. Key to Jordan’s vision was reflecting the parallels between Creed‘s life and his own: “My personal life and this character have been interlinked for the last nine years. He recognizes he’s got some big gloves to fill, taking charge without the regular presence of Stallone or his frequent collaborator Ryan Coogler, the director of “Fruitvale Station,” “Black Panther” and “Creed.” “There’s nothing anyone could have told me to prepare me for what I was getting ready to do,” Jordan said, leaning forward on a sofa.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- “Creed III” is the ninth film in the Rocky Cinematic Universe, but the first without Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa.

“Creed III” is the most un-Rocky-like of the nine films in the series. Not a “Yo!” to be heard either, though keep your ears open for a sliver of the familiar theme music. Jordan then opts to go surreal, imagining Creed and Dame as the only two people in the stadium, each seeking to fight their way out of the metaphorical prisons they’ve created for themselves. Is the plot implausible and a bit soap opera-ish? All roads lead to the climactic “Battle for Los Angeles,” the most cinematic and stylistic boxing match the series has ever attempted. The result is an antagonist you can sympathize with and understand. In “Creed III,” Adonis isn’t simply a son in search of himself through a connection with the father he never knew. This time, he’s a man wrestling with the demons of his past, too scared to face some unresolved trauma and unable to shake off feelings of insecurity and unworthiness. The first “Creed” established Adonis Creed’s place in the franchise as the wayward son of Apollo Creed, Rocky’s longtime rival and friend. “Creed II” served as the unexpected sequel to “Rocky IV” fans longed for. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- “Creed III” is the ninth film in the Rocky Cinematic Universe, but the first without Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa. At home, Adonis and Bianca (Tessa Thompson) deal with the joy and challenges of raising their deaf 9-year-old daughter Amara (Mila Davis-Kent).

Michael B Jordan directs and stars in superior sequel that pits Adonis Creed against a childhood friend who went astray.

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