Old habits die hard. Michael B. Jordan couldn’t help but flex his boxing talents in a promo video for “Saturday Night Live,” which the actor will host on Jan. 28 with musical guest Lil Baby. As a callback to his unforgettable role as heavyweight boxer Adonis Creed in the Creed series, Jordan teased his upcoming hosting gig with some of his old moves.
The teaser begins with Jordan approaching the “SNL” stage with a choir singing sweetly in the background. The ethereal scene quickly sours, however, when a well-meaning cast member interrupts him, tapping Jordan on the back and evoking two punches to the face.
“I am so sorry,” Jordan apologizes to newcomer Michael Longfellow, his hand still instinctively curled into a fist. “Jesus B. Christ!” Longfellow exclaims, clutching his affected nose in pain. Jordan attributes his quick reflexes to his past, saying, “It’s muscle memory.” Unfortunately for him, Longfellow isn’t buying his excuses. “Even the second one?!” he asks incredulously. “That’s kind of how it works,” Jordan shrugs regretfully, gently confirming that the cast member’s nose is, in fact, broken.
“I can’t have a broken nose. I was hired for my looks, not my talent,” Longfellow explains to Jordan. “I know how that feels,” Jordan says, sympathizing with a friendlier fist bump. Eventually, the two reconcile, and Longfellow walks off, leaving Jordan to turn to his fist and whisper, “Never embarrass me like that again.” Check out the full clip above.