Michael B. Jordan has landed the “awesome responsibility” of directing and starring in Creed III.

The 34-year-old starred as Adonis Creed in the first two films in the Rocky spin-off boxing franchise, and it was revealed in December by his Creed co-star Tessa Thompson that he had been tapped to direct the third movie.

In a statement confirming the news, Jordan said he was overjoyed to be making his directorial debut on the “deeply personal” project, which is scheduled to be released in November 2022.

“This franchise and in particular the themes of Creed III are deeply personal to me. I look forward to sharing the next chapter of Adonis Creed’s story with the awesome responsibility of being its director and namesake,” he said.

Jordan also credited his mentors, Ryan Coogler and Denzel Washington, for inspiring him to expand his career.

“Directing has always been an aspiration, but the timing had to be right. Creed III is that moment – a time in my life where I’ve grown more sure of who I am, holding agency in my own story, maturing personally, growing professionally, and learning from the Greats like Ryan Coogler, most recently Denzel Washington, and other top tier directors I respect,” he shared. “All of which sets the table for this moment.”

MGM’s Film Group chairman and president, Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, issued a joint statement to Deadline in which they expressed their excitement at the news Jordan would be helming the highly anticipated boxing drama.

“Michael’s vision for Creed III is incredibly exciting and will undoubtedly be an important contribution to the cannon of this storied franchise. We are thrilled to bring his directorial debut, and share this next chapter in the Creed story, to theatres next year,” they wrote.