After battling his own demons and the son of the man who killed his father in the ring, Donnie is facing another ghost from his past in Creed 3.
Having starred in the previous two Creed movies, Michael B. Jordan carries an extra weight on his shoulders in part 3: he’s making his directorial debut here. Good thing he’s had some powerful support in his corner across his career.
Shouldering a task of this magnitude, it’s not surprising that Jordan calls Creed 3 “the most challenging thing I’ve done in my career, by far”. As he says, “whether it was working with all the departments to make sure they have what they need to do their job, staying in shape, developing the story, or having my own process as an actor with Adonis. I was pushing myself to new limits daily.”
With Jordan branching out in terms of his career and skill-set, it’s fitting that the film finds Adonis ‘Donnie’ Creed in a new place. The estranged son of late heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, Donnie has risen through the ranks over the previous two movies to become a boxing star in his own right, but his mentor, Rocky (Sylvester Stallone), will not appear in Creed 3. “We wouldn’t have Donnie without Rocky, and he will always be a pillar in Donnie’s life, but Creed 3 is really the dawn of a new era for the franchise and the character,” explains Jordan.
Damien Anderson – played by 2023’s go-to antagonist Jonathan majors – is a former childhood friend, looking for help after a long stretch inside.
“Having him as a scene partner made all the difference in the world,” says Jordan. “Jonathan showed up every day ready to work and ready to go to war. We bonded in a way that I never had an opportunity to before with the relationship between director and actor. It’s a bond that lasts forever. We really pushed each other on and off screen and I felt really fortunate to have him by my side through this process.”
The Creed movies have been remarkable when it comes to the boxing action, from a one-take wonder to superb slow-mo and punchily edited bouts. The trailer suggests Creed 3 will very much deliver on that tradition.
