Whoa! Michael B. Jordan Is Getting Huge for Black Panther, Even Bigger Than He Was in Creed

Just when you thought Michael B. Jordan couldn’t get any hotter, he’s taking it up a few notches.

The actor tells me he’s doing some “extreme” training to get in shape for his work in the upcoming Black Panther. “I’m in the process right now, about six months out,” he said while promoting the superhero flick at Comic-Con. “I’m eating tons of carbs, lifting. When we get close to the date I’ll start to shred down a little but the goal is to be bigger than Creed.”

Chadwick Boseman, who blew us away when he made his debut as Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War, filled us in his not-so-comfy skintight suit. “You have to go to a place where it’s sort of Zen place where you can deal with it at first and then you find your peace,” he said. “It’s also exhilarating.”

The film, the first solo movie for a black superhero, begins shooting in January and will be directed by Creed director Ryan Coogler.

The cast also includes Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o and The Walking Dead‘s Danai Gurira.

“I haven’t read the script yet, but from what I know the story is going to be pretty good,” Jordan said.

Coogler said he’s feeling more pressure than he did with Creed because “the history of who the character is, what he represents and all the good will that’s out there towards him.

“With Creed it was met with, ‘Oh, man do we need another Rocky movie? What is this?'” he continued. “There was a little apprehension which actually takes some of the pressure off. With this, most people are excited about it. You have positive feelings towards it. You want to let that pressure motivate you but at the same time you don’t want it to knock you over to the point that you can’t focus what’s in front of you.”

Well, Ryan, we have total confidence in you. Can’t wait to see your Black Panther.

The movie is slated to be released on Feb. 16, 2018.