Jonathan Majors Speaks On How Physically Demanding 'Creed III' Was

When Ryan Coogler's sports drama "Creed" first debuted in theaters in 2015, it received tremendous praise from reviewers and fans alike. Michael B Jordan and Sylvester Stallone starred in the boxing drama, with the latter also co-writing the screenplay as a spin-off to his Rocky trilogy.

Following the film's box-office success, the showrunners greenlit a sequel that premiered in 2018. Coogler did not return as the director; however, the film still delivered excellently, as expected by its increasing fan base.

"Creed 3" is only months away, and Jonathan Majors, who will portray a fierce character in the boxing film, is set to star alongside Jordan's Adonis.

With fans' anticipation for the film already sky-high, the "Lovecraft" star recently teased fans by disclosing that he was hit in the face 100 times during filming.

The 32-year-old actor opened up to Variety, about working on "Creed 3" with MCU veteran Michael B Jordan, revealing that he had quite a physical ordeal on set. He claimed that while he was not injured, he was "punched in the face 100 times." Majors then added, "But it's all OK!" to ensure that his fans knew he was okay with the physicality of the film's role.

Starring in such a physical film like "Creed 3" would definitely have needed some brawn alongside the needed nerve to deliver a good performance. Hence, Majors' recent revelation about some of the workplace risks that came with his part might not be too surprising considering it's a Rocky spin-off and a boxing film.

The film began shooting in late 2021 and is expected to wrap up later this year. Jordan will also be making his directing debut in the upcoming installment, while Tessa Thompson will reprise her role as Bianca.

Majors, who recently appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's "LOKI" series as Kang The Conqueror, informed the publication that he devoted well over a year hitting the gym as he trained for the part. The actor said he had so much muscle gains at the close of his gym regimen that he couldn't even get his hand inside wristbands for Oscar festivities.

"Over time, they just got bigger and bigger," he noted.

Majors was recently sighted working on Venice Beach while Jordan directed him. He chose to film sans a shirt, exposing his chest in the blazing California heat. The Hollywood star also performed a series of strenuous workout routines, including pull-ups, climbing ropes, and racing on the beach with a parachute strapped to his back for resistance.

While fans have been raving about Major's debut in the "Creed" franchise, there are still some bittersweet feelings about one-half of the dashing combo of Stallone and Jordan not returning in the next chapter. Jordan had told Insider months ago that Stallone would not return for the third installment of the film series and that the legendary actor had never kept the news of his departure quiet.

"I think that Sly let it be known that he wasn't coming back for this one," Jordan said at the time. The actor then pointed out that the new installment and other possible future ones would still have an emotional connection with Stallone's character Rocky.

"But I think, you know, his essence and his spirit … there's always going to be a little bit of Rocky within Adonis," he added.

Stallone's departure from the "Creed" boils down to the showrunners' decision to build the story around Adonis's personal battles without any involvement from the franchise's original lead character, Rocky.

"This is a Creed franchise, and we really want to build this story and this world around him moving forward," Jordan said of the upcoming boxing film. "So, it's always respect and always a shit ton of love for what he's built, but we really want to push and navigate Adonis forward and the family that he created."

The relationship between Jordan and Major on the big screen would definitely be fascinating to watch. With the latter speculated to play the "Black Panther" star's arch-nemesis, the anticipation for the film will only grow as the release date approaches.