Michael B Jordan has named the five anime series that have inspired the latest Rocky movie, Creed 3. The Creed 3 release date is now right on the horizon, and we’re all gearing up for the latest round of big men punching each other in the face.
But with a franchise that is now so long-running (with the first instalment in the action movie series coming back in the mid-’70s) it can sometimes be a struggle to keep things feeling fresh, especially when the premise of the sports movies is so simple. So, Michael B Jordan – who is the star of the Creed movies and will be taking the director’s seat for Creed 3 – has looked to anime for influence.
Speaking with IGN, Jordan reflected on this influence, naming five anime series in particular that have had an influence on Creed 3. He said: “Without nerding out too much… You’ve seen so many fights throughout the Rocky and Creed franchise, and I really wanted to put my spin on it, you know?”
Jordan continued “How to make these fights different, and you know, from Hajime no Ippo, to Megalo Box, to Naruto, to My Hero Academia, all of those different anime that I watched growing up, there’s an inherent spirit to them in how they fight…I would say from the Dragon Ball Z universe, there’s a punch… [in] me and Damian’s fight, where there’s a Dragon Ball Z punch that’s in there.”
When it comes to selecting anime as an influence, Jordan has quite literally pulled out the big-hitters. The inspiration from Dragon Ball Z sounds particularly potent, which has us even more excited for the new movie than we already were – and we were already very excited indeed.
If you want to know as much about anime as Jordan himself (and he’s clearly an expert) then check out our guide to the best anime movies and the best anime characters. Or, take a look at our guides to the One-Punch Man season 3 release date, the Demon Slayer season 3 release date, and the Tokyo Revengers season 3 release date. Alternatively, find out why we think Dragon Ball Z can help the Creed movies go on forever.