Creed III's Michael B. Jordan Is Proud Of The Franchise's Power To Inspire
The first trailer for "Creed III" is now online and there are a lot of small details that you didn't quite catch. But one of the most important things about the third "Creed" installment that could get overlooked is the carrying of the franchise's inspirational torch from its previous chapters and all the "Rocky" movies to now, which is something lead star Michael B. Jordan always aims to do.
"Creed III," which is directed by the "Black Panther" star, centers around the arrival of Jonathan Majors' boxing prodigy Damian Anderson and how the former childhood friend of Adonis Creed can get his own shot in the ring following a lengthy stint in prison. Pegged as an antagonist, it's obvious from fan reactions and his overall story arc that it's going to be pretty hard for many people to root against Damian, who is described in the film's official synopsis as "a fighter who has nothing to lose."
"He is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring," the synopsis says. "The face-off between former friends is more than just a fight," it adds, further noting that Adonis will have to put his career at stake as he faces Damian. Judging from the trailer, it appears that Damian and Adonis have some bad blood stemming from an incident that they were involved in as kids, which somehow landed Damian behind bars.
"Creed III" will be the very first film that Jordan is directing, and he also serves as a producer on the film. The acclaimed "Fruitvale Station" actor likely brought the same attitude he's had for years when playing Adonis, which to him, has been the secret to the franchise's success.
Jordan wants every Creed movie to inspire people the same way the Rocky franchise did
Speaking in prior interviews, Michael B. Jordan has previously described using inspiration and hope as a personal measuring stick of his when gauging whether the "Creed" franchise was successful or not. More specifically, if a "Creed" movie is able to inspire someone in the same way the "Rocky" movies famously did, then Jordan's job is complete.
"I think the power of cinema and movies and storytelling — that's what it's for, it's for healing, it's for inspiration," Jordan told Entertainment Weekly in 2018 ahead of the "Creed II" release. "It's to help people dream, to get over hard times, as an escape from their reality," he continued. "The Rocky films, they did that. If the Creed franchise can have that same effect, I think we've done our job." According to Jordan, there have been numerous instances where people came up to him and said they were motivated to do things after watching "Creed" and its sequels. He told EW, "I've had kids and older adults — men, women — come up to me and say, 'You motivated me to get up in the morning and go to the gym. You motivated me to stick to this diet.'"
With a March 2023 release date, it appears that "Creed III" could help people stay motivated in the first few months of the new year. The film features a number of themes that people can easily relate to; according to Jordan, these include family, loyalty, and embracing your past. "Remembering where you come from is really important in this," Jordan told Collider in an October 2022 sit-down. "Sometimes settling debts and being accountable for your actions is something that we wanted to look at," he explained. "I wanted to create a story where everybody felt like they could relate to something in this movie."