Michael B. Jordan Says 'Creed 2' Is 'Not Just About Revenge'

Fans may be excited to see Adonis Creed beat the crap out of Ivan Drago’s son Viktor, but Michael B. Jordan says that's only part of the story.

Creedfans may be excited to see Adonis Creed beat the crap out of Ivan Drago’s son Viktor, but Michael B. Jordan wants everyone to know this film is about a lot more than bloodshed and revenge.

“Victor’s storyline is very layered,” Jordan told the Toronto Sun. “The two guys are similar in a lot of ways…Adonis feels, naturally, a certain animosity towards Viktor and Ivan, and then there are other themes in there: the maturity of growth, the importance of family, of legacy, is what makes Creed so special. It’s not just about revenge.”

Even if the film isn’t only about revenge, it’s still very much about boxing, which means Jordan had to get into the best shape of his life to shoot some of the scenes—even better shape than he was in for his role as Killmonger in Black Panther. Whew.

“For Black Panther, I had to get bigger,” he explained. “I’m probably the biggest I’ve ever been…. But I knew I was fighting someone who is a lot bigger than I am, so I wanted to try and catch up as best I could, and I killed myself in the gym to do that.”

The latest film from the Rocky universe obviously also stars Sylvester Stallone, as well as Tessa Thompson playing Adonis' girlfriend Bianca. The film arrives on the heels of Rocky’s 42nd anniversary. When asked if he would be willing to carry on as Adonis Creed for four decades, similar to Stallone, Jordan said he’s definitely up for it.

“If I’m lucky. I want to keep making them as long as they’re good," he said. "I always want to keep my finger on the pulse. Forty two years, I mean, who knows?”

Michael B. Jordan and his bulging muscles hit theaters on Nov. 21.

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