Actor and now director Michael B. Jordan has teased Jonathan Majors’ Creed 3 antagonist, stating that he will be far more than just a “mustache-twirling villain.” Speaking with Empire, who have also released a new image from the boxing sequel, Jordan revealed details of Majors’ character. And it sounds like it’s going to be really hard to root against him.
"I think he has an intensity and a realness of character we haven’t seen before. He’s a grounded character who’s antagonistic by nature, but it comes from an honest place, real emotions. He’s not a moustache-twirling villain; I wanted people to understand him, and to make it hard for people. I think those make for the most complicated and interesting ones to watch."
There’s no enemy like the past in Creed III, and that enemy will be personified by Jonathan Majors as Damian "Dame" Anderson. An old friend of Adonis’ from his time spent at a juvenile detention center, Dame has returned to take what he believes is his: fame, wealth, and glory in the ring. And while Jordan’s Adonis Creed may be the hero of the franchise, it certainly sounds like the actor-turned-filmmaker has strived to make the villain and his desires as sympathetic as possible to create a complex, gray area at the center of the ring.
Jonathan Majors Says it Was Like a Sick Dream Exchanging Punches with Michael B. Jordan
Creed III picks up five years after 2018’s Creed 2 and finds Michael B. Jordan’s champion boxer having lived the last few years in absolute luxury and happiness alongside his wife, Bianca Taylor (Tessa Thompson), and child. But that luxury is about to come to an end thanks to the return of a face from Adonis’ past. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian "Dame" Anderson, resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face-off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Donnie must put his future on the line to battle Dame – a fighter who has nothing to lose.
"It was like a sick dream. (Laughs.),” Majors said recently of exchanging punches with Jordan. “I'm sure the stories will come out as we go, but there were moments where I was like, 'Did Mike hit me, or did Adonis hit me? I'm not sure. And did I hit Mike, or did I hit my director?' That was probably the most fun, a different type of fun. You're there with your brother. Michael and I were fast friends, and then we became actual brothers. I just love him. He knows it. I love him so much. I love you so much, Mike! He is my boy. I am his boy. And yeah, it was intense. You can only strike somebody like that or go after somebody like that if you've got a deep amount of respect and love for him. But when a director gives you a note that you don't really understand, you can give it right back to him. You can make him pay for it. (Laughs)."
Directed by Michael B. Jordan in his feature directorial debut, Creed III stars Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Wood Harris, Florian Munteanu, Selenis Leyva, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Spence Moore II, Mila Davis-Kent, and Canelo Álvarez alongside Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors.
Creed III is scheduled to be released on March 3, 2023, by United Artists Releasing.