Michael B. Jordan's superstar status was taken to new heights when he made his debut as the son of Rocky Balboa's late best friend Apollo Creed. With Rocky mastermind Sylvester Stallone by his side, Jordan delivered a knockout performance that tugged on the heartstrings of both old and new fans of the franchise alike. Just six years after his Creed debut, Jordan made the bold decision to step behind the camera as director of Creed III whilst simultaneously starring in the venture. Unsurprisingly the film's champion-worthy debut earned Jordan well-deserved praise amongst his peers with the actor-director's latest recognition coming from Creed director and Creed III producer Ryan Coogler.

Hailing the actor as part of his inclusion on the coveted Time100's 'Most Influential People' list, Coogler said: "With this year's Creed III, he took on a new role-feature-film director-and handled it with aplomb. I knew he would. Because directing is a working person's game. The world sees the press tours, the interviews, and the edited behind-the-scenes footage, but I am deeply familiar with the reality. Marathon conversations with actors. Budget meetings when you realize cutting part of the story is the only way forward. Postproduction hours when your own mistakes laugh at you from the footage. It's like climbing a mountain summit through enemy territory with your heart exposed. But I knew Mike had it in him. Because over that quarter-century of work, nothing was given to him. Everything was earned. And I strongly believe that his best work is still to come."

Creed III Has Been Given The Ultimate Seal of Approval

Taking into consideration the incremental role Coogler has played in bringing the Creed stories to life time and time again, the feedback is a true seal of approval for Jordan. This has certainly not evaded the actor with him sharing the post on his Instagram page alongside a proud portrait of him on the cover of the magazine. Although Coogler's praise is undoubtedly valuable, he joins a legion of supporters that have commended Jordan for the film. Precious fans of the half-a-decade-old franchise found new meaning in Jordan's darker vision for Creed III which focused on the complexities, trauma and tribulations of Donnie (Jordan) and Dame's (Jonathan Majors) broken brotherhood, ultimately appealing to audiences globally.

Michael B Jordan as Adonis Creed in Creed 3

RELATED: New 'Creed III' Featurette Explores Michael B. Jordan's Directorial Debut

The news comes hot off the heels of a stunning featurette for the movie that showcases Jordan's directorial debut. Speaking in the video shared by Prime Video, the actor touched on his personal connection to the character highlighting that he created him alongside Coogler and "got a chance to play him at pivotal times during my personal life." He then went on to explain that telling Donnie's story from a new place in his life felt "extremely personal." The actor's personal investment in the project factored into even the finest details of the movie with his deep-rooted love for anime even working into the wardrobe inspiration.

Jordan's passion certainly carried through with the film now boasting a lengthy list of accomplishments. This includes its new title as the best-performing project in the spin-off franchise, a powerhouse $224 million taking at the global box office and even a potential Creed-verse development in the works.

Creed III is available to stream now on Prime Video. You can see Jordan's Instagram post and trailer for the film below.