Director Michael B. Jordan turned to Jon Favreau, Denzel Washington, and Bradley Cooper as sounding boards for Creed III

Directed by Michael B. Jordan, Creed III released in cinemas on March 3, 2023.

By Monica Yadav -

March 3, 2023 - 7:30 PM IST

With Creed III, actor Michael B. Jordan returns as Adonis Creed but also marks his directorial debut. The film marks his face-off with his long-time friend Damian Anderson who is back after being released from prison. Following Ryan Coogler who was previously the director for the two films, Jordan had to carve his journey though he did have help.

Director Michael B. Jordan turned to Jon Favreau, Denzel Washington, and Bradley Cooper as sounding boards for Creed III

At the press conference, Michael B. Jordan, which was attended by Bollywood Hungama, said that nothing could have prepared him for his directorial journey. “Even though there was nothing that anybody could really tell me to prepare me for what the journey was gonna be like. It was one of those things you just have to, you got to live it and get through it. And [laugh] the hardest thing I’ve had to do so far. But at the same time, I felt the most alive doing it, so it was rewarding,” he said. He also said that fellow actors-turned-directors Jon Favreau, Denzel Washington, and Bradley Cooper were great “sounding boards” for him to begin his process of filmmaking.

“It was the hardest thing I’ve had to do so far, and at the same time I felt the most alive while doing it,” said Jordan.

The actor also said that another “sounding board” for him was Ryan Coogler (director of Creed films, Fruitvale Station, and Black Panther). Ryan serves as a producer and writer on Creed III. Speaking of their relationship, Michael said, “Sometimes I’ll hit Ryan in the middle of the night. ‘Hey, man, you know, what about this? I mean, are you sure? Do I not need it? Do I not need it? Okay, you sure? You sure? Okay.’ And getting that reassurance of somebody who’s been through that process before, you know? Writing his baby, you know, making his baby, and then having to, you know, kill his darlings in certain areas is not an easy thing.”

In terms of fulfilling his lifelong ambitions, Jordan was excited to bring some of his ideas to life. “There are some scenes and shots in the movie that I've dreamed about," Jordan said. "I've imagined, daydreamed in my head, and when you see it on screen, the type of gratification you get out of that is crazy.”

The logline reads, “After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has been thriving in both his career and family life. When childhood friend and former boxing prodigy Damian (Jonathan 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.”

Directed by Michael B. Jordan, Creed III released in cinemas on March 3, 2023.