Michael B. Jordan will make his directorial debut with ‘Creed III’

In 2015, the actor starred as Donnie in 'Creed' and in 'Creed II' three years later. Now, he'll get behind the camera.

Dec 30, 2020

After charming audiences all over the world in the role of Adonis “Donnie” Johnson Creed, Michael B. Jordan will make his directorial debut with Creed III.

Jordan first starred as Donnie in Creed, the 2015 Rocky spin-off directed by Ryan Coogler, who directed Jordan three years later in the blockbuster Black Panther. Creed gained rave reviews, earned Jordan an NAACP Image Award and led to its own 2018 sequel, Creed II, helmed by another black director, Steven Caple Jr.

Acting sensation Michael B. Jordan is shown at January 2016’s European premiere of “Creed” in London, England. Jordan, who starred in “Creed,” will be directing its second sequel, “Creed III.” (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images)

Now with Creed III in development, it looks like Jordan will be taking over as director for its second sequel.

In an interview for her new film Sylvie’s Love, actress Tessa Thompson confirmed the news to MTV’s Josh Horowitz.

“[Jordan] is directing the next Creed. It’s going to be ammo, I think, for me when he is engaging with me as a director,” she says. “I’m just going to tell him to dial down the sexiness.” Thompson, of course, is referencing Jordan’s new “Sexiest Man Alive” title from People magazine.

In the video, Thompson insists on busting the actor’s chops, saying “I haven’t talked to him about it because I’m going to pretend it hasn’t happened. I don’t want … we’re going to make another Creed very soon, and I don’t need the ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ to … you know what I mean?”

Although she plans on joking about it with Jordan, she does insist she is “proud of him.”

“I’m so happy for him,” says Thompson, “and I will give him a lot of crap about it in person. I cannot wait.”

In his official “Sexiest Man Alive” interview with People a few months ago, the actor-activist referenced directing in his future, explaining he hoped to be “maybe directing a little more, acting less, producing a lot more…just growing, whatever the next evolution of me is.”

While there is no official release date for Creed III just yet, it’s clear that Michael B. Jordan-the-director is set to show up sooner rather than later.

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!