Michael B. Jordan explains why he decided to direct Creed 3. Jordan first played Adonis Creed, the son of Rocky Balboa’s late friend Apollo Creed, in the 2015 legacy sequel Creed co-starring Sylvester Stallone.
Creed of course not only snagged Stallone a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, it also revived the Rocky franchise, which had been in cold storage since 2006’s Rocky Balboa. Directed by Black Panther helmer Ryan Coogler, the movie was a smash hit that grossed $173 million at the box office while establishing Jordan as a star in the making. In 2018 the inevitable sequel Creed II was released, with Steven Caple Jr. handling directorial duties this time around. The result was another box office success, with $214 million in grosses. Big changes are in store however as the Creed franchise heads into its third film, as Stallone (for now) no longer plans on being involved in the role of Rocky. With Adonis Creed now apparently going it alone, Jordan himself is taking the plunge and making his feature film directorial debut on Creed III.
Indeed Jordan follows in the footsteps of Stallone by taking on Rocky/Creed directorial duties, as Stallone himself directed every Rocky movie from Rocky II on. As for why Jordan decided to finally take the reins himself for the third Creed film, he told THR that he just believed the time was right to take the next step in his career:
“My ambition has intersected at this moment where I have the experience and knowledge to direct, the opportunity within a franchise to step behind the camera and [the ability] to maximize it by having a production company. It’s my turn to make my impact while I have the energy and strength. I’ve got to tee up the ones that come after, but at the same time hyper-focus on what needs to be done right now. It’s the moment I’ve waited for my entire life. This is it. This can dictate the next 10, 15, 20 years.”
Certainly Jordan does not lack for confidence as he steps behind the camera and takes on the task of directing himself as Adonis Creed in Creed III. And Jordan undoubtedly has plenty of ideas about the character of Adonis that he’d like to explore in a directorial capacity. It will indeed be fascinating to see what subtle or maybe not-so-subtle changes are in store for Adonis as he grows beyond Rocky Balboa and strikes out on his own story together of course with Tessa Thompson as Bianca. Boxing action will obviously continue to play a big part in the story, but no doubt domestic concerns will continue to loom large as they did in Creed II, which tried its best to balance its several huge and elaborate boxing scenes with quieter and more intimate moments showing Adonis and Bianca as young parents dealing with a hearing impaired child.
Ultimately of course the biggest fact of Creed III is that it will be truly focused on Adonis Creed and will no longer have the character of Rocky Balboa to fall back on for nostalgia points (at least as things look now). It remains to be seen if Adonis can carry his own movie free and clear of Rocky’s presence, but no doubt director Jordan will attack Creed 3 with the same fire and tenacity his character shows in the ring.
Source: THR
