Michael B. Jordan Talks CREED III and Says It's "The Most Challenging Thing I’ve Done in My Career"

Michael B. Jordan starred in the first two Creed films and was incredible in those movies! But in Creed III, not only is he starring, but he also took on the challenge of directing. As you might imagine, that put some extra weight on his shoulders, and in a recent interview with Total Film, he said that it’s "the most challenging thing I’ve done in my career, by far.”

He explained: "Whether it was working with all the departments to make sure they have what they need to go do their job, staying in shape, developing the story, or having my own process as an actor with Adonis. I was pushing myself to new limits daily."

Luckily, he learned a lot of things from the previous directors that he’s worked with over the years, saying: "I’ve been blessed to work with and learn from incredible directors over the years, like Ryan [Coogler: Creed, Fruitvale Station, Black Panther] and Steven [Caple Jr.: Creed 2], who gave me a ton of guidance and mentorship heading into this process.”

He went on to say: "Ryan was one of the first people that really solidified directing as an aspiration for me. I remember him saying on the first Creed, ‘It’s never the right time. You just gotta jump in the deep end and go for it.’ I also received a ton of mentorship from Denzel Washington... There’s not a lot of people who have directed themselves."

When talking about Rocky’s influence on Creed III, Jordan went on to say: "We wouldn’t have Donnie without Rocky, and he will always be a pillar in Donnie’s life, but Creed III is really the dawn of a new era for the franchise and the character. It was really important from a storytelling perspective to get to a pivotal point in Donnie’s career a few years down the line where he has really established himself with his professional career and his family."

In the film, “After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed (Jordan) has been thriving in both his career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian (Majors), resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian – a fighter who has nothing to lose.”

The rest of the cast includes Jonathan Majors, Tessa Thompson, Wood Harris, Florian Munteanu, and Phylicia Rashad, as well as new cast members Selenis Leyva, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Spence Moore II, Mila Davis-Kent, and Canelo Álvarez.

Creed III will be released on November 23rd. You can watch the previously released trailer for the movie here.