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Anime lovers and hardcore otakus worldwide will be thrilled to hear that another celebrity, Michael B. Jordan, has joined their ranks. During an interview with IGN, the 36-year-old actor opened up about the five anime that had significantly influenced his life as well as his work.
In a recent interview for the promotion of his upcoming film, Creed III, Michael B. Jordan spoke of his desire to include anime-style fighting scenes and methods in his action sequences to bring a different flavor to them. Moreover, the Black Panther actor also talked mentioned his favorite anime shows and how they had influenced his filmography and other works.
Michael B. Jordan and his involvement with the anime community has been long-term
Long-time fans of Michael B. Jordan are no strangers to the actor's love of anime, especially battle shonen anime that are exclusively combat-oriented and geared towards a younger audience. The famous Marvel hero Killmonger was even styled after Vegeta, the anti-hero turned ally in Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball Z series.
While talking about his career as a global ambassador for Coach, Jordan shared his love for anime, stating:
"Anime is something that was a big piece of my childhood, my adult life, and my creativity"
The actor's talent pertaining to fashion design was able to shine exclusively because of his anime-oriented leanings. During his collaboration with Coach, Michael B. Jordan brought out a line of apparel based on Naruto's iconic attire.
Moreover, his inspiration from the anime is clearly exhibited in gen:Lock, the animated web series that he produced with Rooster Teeth. Not only is Jordan simply limited to shonen, but he had stated in an earlier interview that classics from the science fiction/mecha genre, such as Gundam Wing and Gundam: Wing Endless Waltz, joined his list of favorite anime, as they take their place beside the better-known Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, and Attack on Titan.
Which anime inspired Michael B. Jordan's Creed III?
As director of the upcoming installment in the Creed franchise, Michael B. Jordan is set to bust out all the otaku stops. In his interview with IGN for the film's promo, Jordan remarked:
"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, y' know?"
His desire to make the fight scenes different led him to name-drop several fan-favorite anime that set Twitter abuzz. The foremost among them was Hajime no Ippo. The inner dialog used in this classic boxing anime to comment on the events going on in the ring and beyond inspired Jordan's filmmaking style. Additionally, he attempted to incorporate the action sequences into his fighting style in the movie.
Apart from that, Jordan also mentioned the inherent spirit of the fighting style, bonds, and familial and friendly relationships of anime like Megalo Box , Naruto, and My Hero Academia that had always inspired him while growing up. He also mentioned a specific punch, which is a famous incident from Goku and Frieza's battle in Dragon Ball Z, that would directly impact a scene in Creed III.
Having put on his directorial shoes, Michael B. Jordan is set to channel the essence of all his favorite anime moments into Creed III's fight scenes. The film is set to release on March 3, 2023, and will be produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures.
