Creed III knocked out the competition at the box office, and now the boxing crowd-pleaser is finally available to rent or buy with an Amazon Prime subscription. To celebrate the movie making its way to the platform, the sports flick’s star and director, Michael B. Jordan, shared a bunch of behind-the-scenes photos to celebrate the occasion. However, there seems to be one notable absence, that of key actor Jonathan Majors. The A-lister plays the main antagonist opposite Jordan in the third tale in Adonis’ saga, but he is nowhere to be seen. This may laving fans to wonder if his absence has anything to do with the Ant-Man & Wasp: Quantumania actor’s recent legal troubles.
Michael B. Jordan took to Instagram to share a wonderfully shot compilation of images that, fittingly, work as a bit of a sports montage for Adonis. The actor's latest batch of BTS images shows him in and out of character as Adonis Creed, training and fighting in the ring. The photos also give fans a glimpse of the Fruitvale Station star’s time behind the camera, directing for the first time. Jordan captioned his social media post with a simple question to fans, “What’s your favorite scene?” The actor’s post can be seen below:
As great as the pics are, it's hard not to take notice of Jonathan Majors' absence. In the third Creed film, Majors plays Damian "Dame" Anderson, a childhood friend--turned-antagonist to Adonis. The Lovecraft Country alum features heavily in the movie, so it is a bit awkward not to see any sign of him in these behind-the-scenes images. This could be an intentional choice on MBJ's part, due to the fact Majors was recently charged with assault and harassment after being arrested in New York City.
According to reports, the rising actor was charged with several offenses, including strangulation, assault, and harassment. The incident allegedly occurred during a heated argument with his girlfriend in a taxi as they returned home from a Brooklyn bar. The unidentified woman claimed that she saw Jonathan Majors texting another woman, which led to a confrontation. The situation purportedly escalated, and the woman alleged that Majors grabbed her hand, slapped her, and put his hands around her neck.
The actor has since been released from police custody, and his representative quickly issued a statement denying the accusations and expressing confidence that the matter would be resolved in his favor. The Marvel star's lawyer even detailed evidence that allegedly refutes the assault accusations. However, the incident has raised concerns about the actor’s future in the entertainment industry, particularly in light of recent events involving high-profile domestic violence cases. The US Army, which had used the actor in its new recruitment commercials, has spoken out about its decision to pull ads featuring the star until an investigation is complete.
Michael B. Jordan has not spoken publicly about his co-star's arrest, at the time of this writing. Despite the controversy surrounding his castmate, fans still seem to be excited for Jordan’s directorial debut. In addition to being a box office triumph, Creed III has been critical success, as folks are really digging its blend of sports drama and heartfelt emotion. Whether or not Jonathan Majors will be a part of any further movies in the franchise remains to be seen. Still, fans can rest assured that Jordan and crew will continue to deliver the same level of quality that has made this series such a beloved addition to the ever-growing Rocky Balboa saga.
As you await further developments regarding Jonathan Majors, check out our schedule of 2023 new movie releases to plan your next trip to the cinema.
