Michael B. Jordan comes out swinging on Creed 2, diversity and Black Panther’s Oscar chances

Michael B. Jordan gets back in the ring to go a few more rounds as Adonis Creed — but will the Academy recognise the cultural phenomenon that was Marvel’s Black Panther?

US actor Michael B. Jordan and director Ryan Coogler have become a formidable double act, first with the indie hit Fruitvale Station, then the successful Rocky reboot Creed and most recently Marvel’s Black Panther, which made $1.8 billion at the box office and became a genuine cultural phenomenon.

Jordan is back for Creed 2 — with Coogler on board as an executive producer — the 8th movie in Sylvester Stallone’s beloved boxing franchise, and a sequel to Rocky IV.

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Michael B. Jordan returns as Adonis Creed in Creed 2.

Why do you think Creed struck such a chord?

I don’t know. I’m glad you guys enjoyed it. I think people just got in touch with the realness of it — the characters they loved, the relationships between Adonis and Rocky, Adonis and Bianca and Adonis and himself really. A lot of that movie was him battling himself.

Creed director Ryan Coogler apparently didn’t see the potential for a sequel — what did you want to explore in the Adonis Creed story?

I wanted to explore everything that Adonis stands for and what we have built so far. Trying to figure out who he was, living in the shadow of a father he never knew. What it’s like to be young professional in love, what young love looks like nowadays.

Ryan couldn’t come back for this film because he was filming Black Panther — was that a bit of a blow for you, having appeared in all of his movies so far?

Of course. There was a time when we were trying to figure out if he was going to do it but when he took Panther he had to focus on that film but he recommended an incredible director in Steven Caple. And to work with somebody new was cool as well. He was a producer so he was still involved in the process — just in a different capacity.

Michael B. Jordan, left, and Sylvester Stallone in a scene from Creed II.

What role did Ryan play in Creed 2 — did you use him as a sounding board?

He chimed in as much as he could but he wanted to give Steven the space to create his own movie as well. He’s a very sensitive guy in that way and pays attention to the fine print, so he wanted to be involved as much as he could and still give Steven the freedom and respect to have his own thing too. It was a fine balance, but I think he found it.

If you’d been in all of Ryan’s films, you realise you’ll have to come back for Black Panther 2, right?

Well, I’m going to leave that to the powers that be. I’m not even going to get into that one.

Steven got pretty obsessed with boxing and training himself — what did he bring to the table?

He brings a really gritty approach to the movie — he comes from an independent film world as well. He was a fan of the first one and a fan of the Rocky franchise so he knew about the history and the culture and was able to add on to that.

Where do we meet Donnie in this movie and what are the biggest challenges he faces?

We meet Donnie a few years after the first film and you see him and Bianca (Tessa Thompson) go through the struggles of a relationship and you kind of catch them at a crossroads. With any relationship, including him and Rocky, you have ups and downs and disagreements and you really see him navigate that world to get what he wants.

Ivan Drago — was one of the great movie villains of the 1980s — is back. What was it like seeing Dolph Lundgren and Stallone on set, particularly given Dolph put him in hospital for four days while making Rocky IV?

It was surreal to have him on set — it was a really cool feeling. They were jumping right back into the rhythm that they had. They shot the Expendables movies together so they had that relationship but it was cool to see them as these old characters that people know and love them for.

You got knocked out for real on the first film to become part of the “Dead Man Walking” club — did anything like that happen this time?

I took some real punches on this one too. It’s always cool to be able to earn your stripes and do some things that you normally wouldn’t do. That’s part of the fun.

Michael B. Jordan says his fearsome looking Creed 2 co-star Florian Munteanu, who plays Viktor Drago, was a big teddy bear.

How scary is Florian Munteanu? He’s a huge man — and he dropped 20 pounds for the role of Viktor Drago!

He’s a big guy — it was fun to have him. But terrifying? No — he’s a big teddy bear.

Did you start from a much higher base with your fitness this time — was it easier to get into shape?

It was definitely easier this time around because of that base I had coming off of Panther. I had continued to box since the first Creed and I intend to continue moving forward too.

How do you reflect on Black Panther now — why did it become the cultural phenomenon that it did?

That’s such a loaded question, man. There are so many things that went into that movie to make it what it is and what it’s become. Timing, the incredible cast, the incredible writing, incredible director, the temperature of the world today, the thirst for culture among black and brown people who needed this movie. I felt like the messaging and what we were talking about was timely and people needed to hear it.

Michael B. Jordan, pictured with Chadwick Boseman, is being talked up for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Black Panther.

It feels like it’s a good time for diversity in Hollywood — has the penny finally dropped for producers and money men?

I think people are definitely starting to get the message that things are changing and there is more of an opportunity and it’s profitable. That was one of the main things that really hindered producers from making certain kinds of films but it feels like we have skyrocketed past that glass ceiling. We are changing people’s minds and that’s very positive.

How do you like Black Panther’s chances for a Best Picture Oscar and there is also talk of a Best Supporting Actor nomination for you too?

I feel honoured to be in that conversation. To be recognized for what we have done on that level I think is really special and I think we have really good shot at it. But I try not to think about those things because it’s not in our control. But for us, doing the work we did in that project and it having the impact it did in our community and having it touch people in a real way is a win for us. Now being where we are and having everyone else put it under a microscope, I feel like we have already won.

— Creed 2 opens on Thursday.