Since Rocky premiered in 1976, the iconic boxing franchise has produced eight sequels or spin-offs. The latest, Creed III, is the first film in the series that doesn’t feature Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa (though Sly serves as one of its producers). That puts the focus of the movie—which opens March 3—squarely on the character of Adonis Creed, who is portrayed by Michael B. Jordan, the film’s director. The 36-year-old recently talked to Sports Illustrated about the film, taking on new responsibility and what the future might hold.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
Sports Illustrated: Third Creed film—and your first as a director. How did that change the experience?
Michael B. Jordan: It changed my responsibility for everything. The days that I would normally go home after we wrap for the day, I’m staying there breaking down the day, working through stuff with my department heads, what we have to do to the next day, what’s next on the shot list. It’s a different level of responsibility to the entire project and to oversee the entire vision. You’re caring about everything from what color the chair is in this room to what lighting scheme we’re coming up with in this boxing ring. A lot of things just fell on me on this one.
SI: How did it happen, anyway? What’s the story behind you getting this director gig?
MBJ: Part of it was me daydreaming about this thing for a long time. And then it was figuring out when I was going to finally step behind the camera and direct. It really started with the process of finding a director for Creed II and then figuring out where I wanted the story and the Creed franchise to go moving forward. [Producer] Irwin Winkler had a conversation with me and really suggested that I direct the next one. And once that green light [came] from Irwin, it started to manifest. I would just act as if that was going to happen. I would start thinking about what I would do. What would be my approach in the fights? What would I want to do differently? Different story arcs, storylines, et cetera. I started formulating the movie a few years ago and everything kind of fell into place.
SI: So how did you put your stamp on Creed III as a director?
MBJ: I think the gift and the curse of this being the ninth installment that is there have been so many approaches to the boxing. There’s only so many ways you could shoot a jab, you can film a right hook or a straight right. There’s a certain amount of punches that we’ve seen so many times. So it forced me to think outside the box. It forced me to be more creative. How do I bring my inspiration from Japanese animation and anime and those action scenes and fighting scenes? How do I bring that into the world of boxing? So I took some creative swings.
And a shit load of pride went into the fights in this movie to elevate them, to make them feel bigger. Shooting them in IMAX as well. All the fights are shot in IMAX. So that’s a different element that I wanted to bring to really immerse people into the fights. But then also just the tone, the camera moves, the cinematography. I just wanted to raise the bar a little bit.
SI: You have a close working relationship with Ryan Coogler. He co-wrote and directed the first Creed. Was it nerve wracking to show him the third one?
MBJ: It wasn’t really, honestly. He’s a brother of mine. I know he was going to give it to me straight. He wouldn’t hold back his thoughts. And working with a talented filmmaker like him, any notes and suggestions are welcome to help refine it and make the project better. I was very happy to see what he thought about it. Getting his approval on it was a big deal for me.
SI: Doing these movies—does it change how you see boxing?
MBJ: It’s definitely made me appreciate the sport a lot more. And really understand what it takes to be a fighter and what fighters go through. The family life, the weight that’s on their shoulders. Every time they step in the ring their careers are on the line. Their lives are on the line. The livelihood of their family is on the line. So it definitely made me more empathetic and understanding of the sport. I’m way more ingrained in the boxing culture than I was before I started shooting the Creed films.
SI: Ever tempted to get in the ring?
MBJ: I would say maybe once, and it was more or less just me and a bunch of my friends watching a lot of people get inside the ring that didn’t necessarily have as much experience as I did. The conversation was like, “Mike, when you getting in there?”
SI: So who are you thinking of fighting?
MBJ: Come on Chris (laughs). Come on, man. Nah, it was just one of those things where it’s like you start seeing like Jake Paul, Logan Paul, those guys getting in the ring and all these YouTubers, just that whole era. It really started to become a big draw and bring in a big audience. I guess right around that time. And I think [Logan Paul] called me out. I kind of let it slide. But it was definitely something that I thought about once or twice.
SI: There have been a lot of rumors about the plot of Creed III over the years. Deontay Wilder playing Clubber Lang’s son, stuff like that. Correct me if I’m wrong, but this is the first film to really deviate from the source material.
MBJ: Technically the first Creed deviated from the source material. And Creed II. But this is continuing down that path that Ryan and I kind of started. It’s really leaning into the hero of the franchise, which is Adonis Creed, and following his path through his family and his journey and how he becomes a better man. That’s the underdog story that we focused on. And in this movie, I frame it as an origin story and a sequel all in one. You learn more about the main character than you thought you knew. You thought you knew him well but no, let’s go back a little bit further and find those transformative years that really allows a person, a boy, to grow to a man. What happened during that time that gave Adonis some childhood trauma that made him be the man that we know today?
Robert Hanashiro/USAT
SI: Why is Sylvester Stallone not in this movie?
MBJ: There are obviously politics that go beyond me. But really moved into Adonis’s world and leaned into his family and how he got into the ring. What happened in those earlier years? And Sly is a producer on this and in his essence of Rocky and Sly will always be throughout the Creed franchise. We just felt like it was the best way to move forward.
SI: Could you envision a storyline that brings him back in Creed IV?
MBJ: I think there’s always space for Sly, for Rocky, to come back. That’s one of those amazing things about that character. It would make sense in any storyline because it all stems from the world of Rocky. So any version of that, it would make sense.
SI: You’re 36 now. Is it more difficult to keep up the Adonis physique?
MBJ: Yes. No hesitation. I’m stretching a lot more. I’m soaking, Icy Hot, Tiger Balm. Those are my friends. Seriously, it definitely takes a lot more time and effort to physically get into that type of shape and maintain it throughout production. This time around directing and having to maintain that physique was the biggest challenge. But man, I'll say this: There isn’t going to be a Creed VI, Creed VII. I’m not fighting in Creed VII. It ain't happening.
SI: Is there a secret to staying in that kind of shape?
MBJ: I mean, honestly, I just have to live like a boxer as much as I can. Put in the same amount of hours that they put in throughout the day, throughout the week, throughout the month. And those things add up. So by the time I get to the set, I’m walking with the confidence of the last eight years of living like a boxer. We looked at Carl Weathers and Sylvester Stallone and the way they were just jacked in those Rocky films, it was ridiculous. As competitive as we are, we were like, “nah, we got to step this s--- up.” We got to raise the bar a little bit. So we definitely put a lot of time in the gym to really hold up that physique.
SI: Have you had to turn down roles that require you to be slimmer?
MBJ: You try to schedule the movies in a way that is kind to your body as much as possible. So you’re not fluctuating in weight, not bulking up [then] slimming down, bulking up, slimming down. The up and down is when it gets really, really tough and it really puts a strain on your body. So I’ve been lucky enough to have films and characters fall in the right space for me to be keep the weight or to be able to drop down and play a biopic [like] Just Mercy. I want different characters to look differently. So therefore I do change my body weight and my physique to the character.
