Creed III: Michael B. Jordan Turned to This Oscar-Winner for Directing Advice

It’s been four years since we last saw Michael B. Jordan continue the role of Adonis Creed in Creed II, and he’ll soon be back with an even bigger position. Not only is the Marvel alum starring in Creed III, but he’s also directing the feature. The first movie in the trilogy was helmed by Black Panther director Ryan Cooger and the sequel was directed by Steven Caple Jr.  Since this is Jordan’s directorial debut, it’s no surprise the actor sought out some advice from some seasoned directors, including Denzel Washington and Bradley Cooper. 

“I was pretty anxious going into it, wondering what that would be like,” Jordan told Empire. “‘Who’s calling action and cut? Is that me?!’” He added, “Talking with Denzel and Bradley Cooper and others who have directed themselves, they told me you have to find your groove and your pace with your first AD and actors … But it’s also like having a superpower: within your performance, you can also direct. It saves some time in some areas, because you get a chance to self-correct in the moment. So that’s a liberating experience to have. It became fun after a while.”

Did Ryan Coogler Help With Creed III?

Coogler and Jordan are frequent collaborators and the former was recently asked by Collider if he provided Jordan with any feedback or notes on the threequel. 

“I mean, I’m not answering that, bro. I’m not answering that,” Coogler replied. “Yeah, that’s crazy. I mean, I’ll answer what it was like. I’ll answer that. Fantastic. That’s what it was like. I was filled with a lot of pride for Mike [B. Jordan], for Jonathan [Majors], for Tessa [Thompson], for Phylicia [Rashad], and for the young star that everybody’s about to meet that plays Amara. I was filled with a deep, deep, deep sense of pride. And for my baby brother, who wrote the script. Along with Zach Baylin, who wrote King Richard. I was just proud of them all. And I called Mike and told him. I’m not going to get into the notes.” He added, “They’re still working on it, man. But I think it’s a unique movie. Yeah.”

Who Stars in Creed III?

The third film sees Adonis facing off with Damian (Jonathan Majors). Majors, set to appear as Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania and Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. The cast also includes returning stars Tessa Thompson, Wood Harris, Florian Munteanu, and Felicia Rashad, as well as new cast members Selenis Leyva, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Spence Moore II, Mila Davis-Kent, and Canelo Álvarez.

Creed III is scheduled to be released on March 3, 2023.