It’s been close to two and a half years since Creed II was released, so naturally fans of the Michael B. Jordan-led Rocky spinoffs have been curious about what’s going on with Creed 3. The last major update about the threequel came last October, when it was reported that not only was Jordan naturally expected to reprise Adonis Creed, but he was also being lined up to direct. Well, not only has Jordan officially secured the directing gig, but Creed 3 has also found itself a release date.
MGM announced today that Michael B. Jordan will helm Creed 3, making this his directorial debut. He follows in the footsteps of Ryan Coogler, who directed the first Creed movie, and Steven Caple Jr., who directed Creed II. As for when we can expect Creed 3, it’s been slotted for November 23, 2022, which makes sense given that the prior two Creed movies were also released close to the Thanksgiving holiday. Here’s what Jordan had to say about taking the directing reins (via Deadline):
Directing has always been an aspiration, but the timing had to be right. Creed 3 is that moment — a time in my life where I’ve grown more sure of who I am, holding agency in my own story, maturing personally, growing professionally, and learning from the Greats like Ryan Coogler, most recently Denzel Washington, and other top tier directors I respect. All of which sets the table for this moment. This franchise and in particular the themes of Creed 3 are deeply personal to me. I look forward to sharing the next chapter of Adonis Creed’s story with the awesome responsibility of being its director and namesake.
2015 was an interesting year for Michael B. Jordan, as not only did he star in Creed, he also played Johnny Storm, a.k.a. The Human Torch, in the Fantastic Four reboot. Needless to say that the boxing movie was a significantly bigger critical hit than the last outing of Marvel’s First Family, and in the years since then, Jordan’s popularity has skyrocketed thanks to movies like Black Panther, Just Mercy and HBO’s Fahrenheit 451. Jordan isn’t retiring from the acting world anytime soon, but now he joins the ranks of actors who’ve also shown off their directing talents, including Clint Eastwood, John Krasinski, Elizabeth Banks and Regina King.
Creed 3 will also see the return of Tessa Thompson as Bianca and Phylicia Rashad as Mary Anne Creed. There’s no word yet on if Sylvester Stallone will be back as Rocky Balboa; Stallone had once said he was done playing the character, but then he started working on another Rocky movie, although the actor said in May 2020 that he wasn’t sure if it would ultimately be made. Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin wrote the Creed 3 script, based on an outline by Ryan Coogler.
Naturally we’ll let you know when any specific Creed 3 plot details are disclosed to the public, as well as when more cast members are announced. In the meantime, Michael B. Jordan can next be seen playing the John Clancy character John Clark in Without Remorse, and he’s currently working on Journal for Jordan, which is being directed by Denzel Washington.
