Actor Michael B. Jordan hinted that his directorial debut Creed III might be just the latest installment in an ever-growing cinematic universe that’s closing in on its 50th anniversary.
Per Deadline, while on the red carpet at the movie premiere in Hollywood, the star implied more Creed films are to follow in the future:
“Building the Creed universe is something that I’m really excited about.”
The third installment sees Jordan return to the role of Adonis, son of boxing legend Apollo Creed. He co-stars with Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Phylicia Rashad, Mila Davis-Kent, Selenis Leyva, and Florian Munteanu.
Jordan made a passionate speech inside the Chinese Theater, praising the cast and opening up about how the collaborative process of making the film enriched his life.
“This journey over the last three years has been incredible. Never thought I could do what y’all say I did. I couldn’t have done that without the people that I just named in this incredible, incredible cast. It’s a team effort”
Jordan says he was driven by a wish to inspire a sense of pride in his colleagues about the film. The project was a labor of love for the newly minted director, who expressed heartfelt gratitude for the trust and support he received from the cast members.
“Every day I tried to show up and I wanted to impress them. I wanted to let them know that I wasn’t doing it just to do the job. And finding the truth within the Creed family was really, really important to us. So, thank you, guys, so much for having my back every step of the way, even when it’s difficult.”
Jordan seems to have thoroughly enjoyed directing and starring in Creed III, a spinoff of Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky franchise. It’s easy to understand why, when both narratives share the stories of underdogs who overcame adversity to realize their dreams of becoming champion athletes.
Rocky sets a precedent for what is possible for the exploration of Adonis Creed’s story in future sequels of the film that may probe how his inner strength and vulnerability fare against the vicissitudes of life.
The theatrical release of Creed III is on March 3.