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When Creed swung onto the scene in 2015 with the propulsive thrill and grit of the finest of cinematic sports stories, we were first introduced to Michael B. Jordan's plucky hero Adonis Creed, son of the late Apollo. Now, Jordan steps into the role of director for the first time with Creed III.

The story continues as a fresh tale of a battle for the heavyweight boxing title as Creed faces a new, dangerous rival who was once a childhood friend: Damian (Jonathan Majors, a talented presence you may recognise from recent Western The Harder They Fall and as Kang The Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania). 

After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed has been thriving in both his career and family life. When Damian resurfaces after serving a prison sentence, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring.

The face-off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian, a fighter who has nothing to lose. 

In 2015, Ryan Coogler – a director with credits in both the authentically indie (Fruitvale Station) and the mega-glossy (Black Panther) – set the template for Creed's combination of both. 

Creed II left our hero in the wealth and good fortune of his physical – and moral – victory over Viktor Drago, son of the infamous Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) who killed his father in the ring. And Creed himself became a father – to a baby girl – with his girlfriend Bianca (the ever-brilliant Tessa Thompson), adding further weight and responsibility to his already risky career. 

Creed III will continue that thread, asking questions about friendship, privilege, facing our past and our legacy. 

Michael B. Jordan follows in the footsteps of fellow actor-directors such as mentor Denzel Washington.

Jordan has discussed the sometimes- daunting step towards directing himself in a film as an exciting challenge, one worthy of his on-screen counterpart.   Christina Newland

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Creed II is in cinemas from 3 March