ABC
After the success of Michael B. Jordan’s “Creed” movies, which have delivered knockout blows at the box office to the tune of more than half billion dollars, the actor has turned the franchise into a new limited comic series.
“Extra’s” Rachel Lindsay recently caught up with Jordan to chat about the animated venture, and to find out if it is a preview of what to expect for “Creed 4.”
“Knowing that I’m such a comic nerd and like anime and stuff like that, the goal is always to expand the Creedverse into comics that I’ve been inspired by so much growing up. And for me, it was an opportunity to explore other characters and storylines and lenses without having to make a do or die decision with a theatrical film,” Jordan explained.
“And obviously Amara is such a huge, pivotal character in ‘Creed 3’ and I wanted to see her grow and pass that legacy on. So, I wanted to kinda explore different storylines with her.”
In the “Creed” films, Michael’s character is known for his intense training as a boxer, which the actor can identify with as he says he was always at the gym growing up. However, he adds his workouts took on a whole new level when his Hollywood career took off.
“I think a lot of times keeping in shape was just like me being a kid, doing sports, being competitive, whether it was basketball or whatever. I mean you’ve gotta be in shape in order to stay on the court longer,” he said.
“I think it kind of shifted once my roles started to be more physical and I was going to be in a position where I’ll have my shirt off a lot more on movies and television, and everybody around with world, the Internet, would always have it for the rest of their life. That kind of motivated me to really kind of get in shape and start to transform my body in that type of way. But I’ve always had a general baseline of just health of wanting to be healthy.”
Now Michael’s on a mission to help others get healthy. The movie star has partnered with Propel on its Propel Your City project, which supports local organizations in addressing barriers to exercise and wellness in their own communities.
“We’re really partnering with existing companies and programs that are already doing the work in the community. How can we give resources and access whether its funds or physical spaces to be able to provide equipment and just places for people to get healthy and get into shape that normally wouldn’t have access to these things.”
Jordan added that he hopes through the campaign, he can squash certain misconceptions surrounding fitness.
“Mental health is like the biggest one. I’ve been meditating like all of my life for the most part, and I know the benefits of being able to sit still, and what breathing can do when you’re in the midst of chaos or anxiety and you just need to get your mind clear. Because if you’re not clear up here in your head, it’s going to be hard for you to physically perform and be consistent at the sacrifice and the dedication it takes to not eat that or get up when you want to stay in bed.”