Michael B. Jordan is on board to be directing Creed IV, according to Irwin Winkler, the producer of Creed III, who revealed details an exclusive report by Deadline.
At a panel discussion in Los Angeles this weekend, Winkler confirmed that “We are planning to do Creed IV right now. We have a really good story [and] a really good plot. We got a little delayed because of the strikes, but about a year from now we’re going into pre-production.”
A product of MGM Amazon Studios, Creed III has been a heavyweight in its own right, racking up more than $275 million globally since its debut this past March. During its first weekend alone, the film earned $58 million, setting a record for the franchise. Jordan both directed and starred in that film, prompting Winkler to comment “He did such a great job — he was comfortable with the camera.”
In the Creed films, Jordan stars in the role of Adonis Creed, the son of Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), Rocky Balboa’s chief nemesis in the boxing ring. Jordan’s initial appearance as Adonis Creed came with the film’s debut in 2015, followed by sequels in 2018 and 2023. In the first of the three movies, Sylvester Stallone reprised his iconic role as Rocky Balboa, but he did not appear in Creed III.
Speaking of the evolution of the three movies, Winkler said, “Michael and the creative team had the beautiful vision from the start to create a wholly new and different experience for this movie…,” recalling how “those early days with Michael were spent crafting how we were looking at the Damian character, which is why I think everyone responded to the depth, not only on the page, but also on the screen. You spend half the movie having deep sympathy for him and understanding his vulnerability.”
Though not confirmed until now, it’s no surprise that Jordan is continuing his involvement with the franchise. He was quoted in February as telling a reporter, “I just want to expand the Creed-verse within reason, but definitely expect other things around Creed for sure.”
