‘Creed 3’ Could Mark The Directorial Debut Of Franchise Star Michael B. Jordan
TheRockyfranchise starring Sylvester Stallone was resurrected withCreed, focusing on a new main character in the form ofMichael B. Jordanas Adonis Johnson, son of the late, great Apollo Creed, a longtime friend and boxing opponent of Rocky Balboa. Not only did it rejuvenate the franchise, bit it created a new legacy by passing the torch and feeling like something familiar and fresh at the same time.
NowCreedis following in the footsteps ofRockyby become a full on franchise.Creed IIgave Adonis Creed his revenge by being victorious over Viktor Drago, son of Ivan Drago, the Russian boxer who killed Apollo Creed in the ring. NowCreed 3is in the works at MGM, and thought we don’t know what’s in store for young Adonis Johnson, the sequel could hold a new challenge for Michael B. Jordan, who is reportedly looking to direct the third installment of the spin-off franchise.
News of Michael B. Jordan directingCreed 3was buried in a Deadline report about the possibility ofNo Time to Diebeing sold off to a streaming service like Netflix, Apple and Amazon (but that won’t be happening). In the same breath that the James Bond franchise was described as the crown jewel of MGM’s movie slate, the report nonchalantly mentions that Michael B Jordan is considering directingCreed 3.
If Jordan ends up directingCreed 3, it would mark his directorial debut. In addition to starring in theCreedfranchise, Jordan served as an executive producer onCreed II, so directing seems like the logical next step. Surely Jordan has learned a lot fromCreeddirectorRyan Coogler, who gave Jordan a role in all three of his movies so far, starting withFruitvale Stationback in 2013.
This isn’t the first time Jordan’s name has been mentioned as a candidate to directCreed 3. Rocky franchise producerIrwin Winklermentioned the potential opportunity in his bookA Life in Movies: Stories From 50 Years in Hollywood.In the book (viaMen’s Health), Winkler said:
“I promised Michael B. Jordan that he’d get his chance to directCreed III. Last year in a conversation with ourCreedstar Michael B. Jordan, I offered him the opportunity to not only star in, but also to directCreed III.”
There’s no guarantee that he’ll take the opportunity, especially since directing and starring in the movie is quite a big responsibility. But theCreedfranchise undoubtedly means a lot to him, and surely he’s carefully considering whether or not it’s a step in his career that he wants to take right now. But we’re bound to find out soon. No matter who ends up directing, I just hopethe script fromZach Baylinhas a story that makes the sequel feel like more than just anotherRockysequel.
