In 1976, Sylvester Stallone wrote the screenplay for what would become quite possibly the most revered sports film in the history of Hollywood when he delivered unto the world Rocky. A gritty story about a down on his luck boxer from the slums of Philadelphia who must persevere mentally and physically in order to achieve his dreams, the story resonated amongst Americans so much that the original Rocky series eventually turned into a 5 part endeavor, proving to be a monster success both culturally and at the box office. In 2015, director Ryan Coogler co-wrote the screenplay for Creed, a spin off series with the star of the film being the son of Rocky’s nemesis in the original film, Apollo Creed. Michael B. Jordan was cast to play the lead of Adonis Johnson and this too proved to be an immense success, raking in over 170 million dollars globally at the box office. Creed seems to be going down a similar path as the Rocky series with a third film currently in production, and reports that Coogler plans to pass the directorial reins to Jordan.
Michael B. Jordan has become nothing short of an industry veteran, making his Hollywood debut on an episode of the legendary HBO series The Sopranos in 1999. This was then followed by a 13 episode stint on The Wire, a show revered just as much as the one that gave Jordan his first chance, and a recurring role on All My Children, solidifying his place in Hollywood. Jordan has not limited himself to film and television either, having made appearances in music videos for artists such as Jay-Z and Beyoncé as well as doing voice work for the NBA 2K video game series. Though it has not been fully confirmed and was only briefly mentioned in a report from Deadline regarding another upcoming film from MGM Studios, producers of the film, it is believed that Michael B. Jordan is likely to both star and direct in the third installment of the Creed series.
Jordan has been building his resume as an actor for over two decades now, with some of his most recent roles including films such as Black Panther and Fahrenheit 451. Now, he is seemingly looking to potentially add the title of director to his resume as well. While it could be considered purely speculation at first glance, producer Irwin Winkler, producer on both the original Rocky series and the new Creed series, confirmed that the offer has at least been made to Jordan in his 2019 book: “Last year in a conversation with our Creed star Michael B. Jordan, I offered him the opportunity to not only star in, but also to direct Creed III.” Joining Jordan to work on the film will be screenwriter Zach Baylin, who most recently wrote the upcoming Will Smith film King Richard. Though it is unclear if he will be working alongside him as the star or director of the film is something we will have to wait and see, fans can find solace knowing that production of Creed III is underway.
