It wasn’t that long ago that the rumors surrounding Creed 3’s director’s chair had tipped franchise star Michael B. Jordan as the potential helmer for the Rocky spinoff series' threequel. With Ryan Coogler and Steven Caple Jr. directing the first two Creed films, respectively, Jordan’s potential turn at bat feels like the move that Sylvester Stallone himself made during the early days of his time telling the stories of Rocky Balboa. Well, now it’s pretty much confirmed, as fellow Creed franchise star Tessa Thompson has said as much in a recent interview.
Not only did Tessa Thompson confirm that Michael B. Jordan will in fact be directing Creed 3, she gave her thoughts on how she felt this would affect the third film. In remarks made to MTV News, Thompson hinted at how Jordan’s approach to the material already felt like that of a director. Of course, it helps that she has this playful note for how he should attack the gig following him landing the "Sexiest Man Alive" moniker.
He is directing the next Creed. It’s gonna be ammo, I think, for me when he is engaging with me as a director. I’m just going to tell him to dial down the sexiness.
When you already have two of the most beautiful people in show business starring in the Creed franchise, it’s hard to tone down any sort of allure. But the chemistry between Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson has only gotten better in the small jump between 2015’s Creed and 2018’s Creed II. Now, with Jordan also wearing the director’s hat for Creed III, it just might be a bit more challenging to rein these performers in, as being in the moment as an actor/director sometimes blurs the lines between the two.
On the more serious side, Michael B. Jordan’s directing of Creed III could speak to the quality of writer Zach Baylin’s script. With Creed II seeing Adonis get a serious, life-threatening pounding from Viktor Drago, the son of iconic Rocky villain Ivan, the big question after that film’s events was whether or not it’d be safe for Adonis to even think of boxing again. He’s already taken a huge risk in setting up the rematch with Viktor, so Creed III would have to get creative in order to even exist. Now, with Michael B. Jordan returning to not only star in, but also direct Creed III, it sounds like that solution has been found.
Crucial pieces are starting to fall into place, ensuring that the Creed trilogy will happen after all. It’ll be a while before we probably hear any further developments, but you can bet that CinemaBlend will be on hand to break them as they occur. Meanwhile, you can see Tessa Thompson’s latest film Sylvie’s Love, which is currently playing on a Prime Video queue near you. Strangely enough, that’s where Michael B. Jordan’s next film will debut as well, as he stars in the Tom Clancy adaptation Without Remorse, presumably at some point in 2021.
