'Creed II' not just about revenge: Michael B Jordan

Actor Michael B Jordan has said his upcoming film "Creed II" has more to its story than just a man seeking revenge for the death of his father.

The new film is a sequel to Rocky series spinoff "Creed".

Directed by Ryan Coogler, "Creed" featured the 31-year-old actor as Adonis Creed, the son of boxer Apollo Creed, who was the arch rival and friend of Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa.

In the sequel, Adonis will go up against boxer Viktor Drago, son of Ivan Drago, who had killed Apollo in the boxing ring over thirty years ago.

In an interview with Toronto Sun, Jordan said Stallone insisted on having a villain in the sequel but stressed the film is much more than just a revenge story.

"Sly was very adamant about this one having a villain. Drago was so huge in 'Rocky IV' and he really (put a stamp) on the franchise at that time, so we wanted to make a sequel that was bigger...

"We didn't have a real villain the first time around. That was more of an origin story with Adonis fighting himself to figure out who he was. This time, I think we found the perfect vehicle to build on that and take it to the next level," Jordan said.

The "Black Panther" star also noted that there are quite a lot similarities between Adonis and Viktor.

"Victor's storyline is very layered. The two guys are similar in a lot of ways... Adonis feels, naturally, a certain animosity towards Viktor and Ivan, and then there are other themes in there: the maturity of growth, the importance of family, of legacy, is what makes 'Creed' so special. It's not just about revenge," Jordan said.

Actor Dolph Lundgren, who played Ivan Drago in "Rocky IV" is making a comeback to franchise.

"Creed II" will release on November 21 this year.