One-Punch Man Artist Reflects on Recent Meeting With Michael B. Jordan

Creed made a comeback to theaters this year with a new film, and it would put things lightly to say it was a success. Under the eye of actor-director Michael B. Jordan, the boxing flick broke franchise records at the box office, and it drove plenty of conversation online. After all, Jordan had anime fans pressed over the anime and manga allusions in Creed III. These nods ultimately culminated in Jordan’s press tour in Japan this month, and now one manga creator is speaking out about his encounter with the Creed III lead.

Taking to Twitter, it was Yusuke Murata who stole the show with a special post. The artist behind One-Punch Man surfaced in photos last week with Jordan as the pair met ahead of Creed’s Japan debut. It turns out the pair met for a special interview, and Murata had the following to say about the ordeal:

先日マイケル・B・ジョーダン監督と対談をさせて頂きました。「クリード　過去の逆襲」。僕にとって非常に心に刺さる作品で、この先の人生で折に触れ見返すであろう傑作でした。初監督でコレを撮ってしまうって凄い！ https://t.co/fAXY3zPH4B

— 村田雄介 (@NEBU_KURO) May 31, 2023

“I did an interview with director Michael B. Jordan the other day. [Creed III] is a work that has very much stuck in my heart. It is a masterpiece that I will come back to in my life every once in a while. It was amazing to shoot this [interview] with the director.”

Of course, it is not hard to see why Jordan wanted to meet with Murata. The artist behind the One-Punch Man manga has no comparison when it comes to art. The shonen fandom largely agrees Murata is one of the best artists in the game, and their work helped elevates ONE’s web comic years ago. Murata’s artwork also inspired the top-tier animation present in One-Punch Man season one, and the mangaka hasn’t slipped with his artwork even after years of work.

If fans are lucky, maybe Murata and Jordan will be able to work together on a project down the line. The artist is definitely busy with One-Punch Man, but he could make time for a Creed one-shot. As for Jordan, the A-list actor is a well-known fan of anime. Creed was given its own anime makeover thanks to a short overseen by Jordan. So hopefully, the actor’s exploration of anime is far from over. 

What do you think about this unexpected Creed x One-Punch Man crossover? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.