Michael B. Jordan: Directing Creed III is the most challenging thing I've ever done

Michael B. Jordan says directing 'Creed III' has been the most "challenging" test of his career so far.

The 35-year-old actor has appeared in almost 20 films since making his motion picture debut as a teenager more than 20 years ago but has now stepped behind the camera for the boxing sequel - which is a spin-off of the 'Rocky' boxing franchise created by Sylvester Stallone - and was "pushing his limits" throughout the process even though he had a "clear vision" for what he wanted on screen.

Jordan - who stars as heavyweight champion boxer Adonis Creed in the franchise - said: "My experience being on set, since I was a kid, is having a shorthand with a lot of the crew that have been around throughout my movie career. And I had a clear vision for the story that I wanted to tell, because I’ve been marinating on it and developing it for such a long time. It was the most challenging thing that I’ve ever done, by far.

"Daily, I was pushing myself to new limits, learning how to communicate and get what’s in your head out, and have other people pick up on that passion and enthusiasm, so that they want to execute your vision to the best of their ability. That’s not an easy task to do. It just felt that everything was lining up perfectly for this opportunity for me."

Jordan admits both directing and starring in a movie can be "torture" but the final film is totally worth all the hard work.

He told Collider: "It’s torture, but at the same time, it’s so much fun. It was the challenge of accomplishing it all, with the multitasking nature of developing the story, trying to stay in shape, and giving all the departments what they individually needed, to go do their job. And then, there was my process, as well. It’s really hard to put into words. Every day was a struggle, but honestly, it was the team of people that I had around me that got me through it. You’ve really gotta surround yourself with the right help, so that you can focus on the things you need to focus on. Sometimes that’s doing two things at one time, or three things at one time. It’s just part of the job. Once you step behind the camera, the undertaking that it is, from the outside looking in, it’s tough."

'Creed III' is set for release on March 3 2023.