Michael B. Jordan is swiftly rocketing to international recognition. In his nearly decade
as a top-tier leading man, he managed to cover a wide range of genres, from dramas to action
films to comedies. His career took him to the big screen after a succession of notable
supporting appearances on famous shows. Let's dive into the list of our favorite roles played
by Michael B. Jordan. Spoilers ahead.
Chronicle is a one-of-a-kind superhero/horror film about three Seattle kids who unexpectedly
obtain abilities. Michael B. Jordan plays Steve Montgomery, Alex Russell plays Matt
Garetty, and Dane DeHaan portrays Andrew Detmer. The three rapidly become good friends and
take advantage of their powers for their own fun. When Andrew's terrible home life eventually
leads to his abusing his powers, his two pals find themselves caught in the crossfire and
decide to interfere.
Michael B. Jordan stands out as immensely personable and likable amid a cast of young
performers who were somewhat unknown at the time. Jordan appears to be at ease in the
role of the popular high school kid, and his character's fate makes the performance more
memorable.
Chronicle outperformed expectations with a $22 million opening weekend, giving the star
his first break in the superhero genre. Playing Steve Montgomery prepared him to play the
Human Torch, a.k.a. Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four.
Jordan plays a real-life superhero battling for racial justice in Just Mercy. He played
the role of Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer who has fought diligently to liberate wrongfully
condemned people from death row and change America's criminal justice system.
The inspirational film was inspired by Stevenson's bestseller 2014 memoir Just Mercy: A Story
of Justice and Redemption, which earned Jordan the prize for best actor in a motion picture
at the 2020 NAACP Awards. If you don't wanna miss a fun fact about Michael B. Jordan, buckle
up and keep watching.
Jordan rose to prominence as Wallace, a teenage heroin dealer who worked for D'Angelo Barksdale
in The Pit, played by Larry Gilliard Jr. The tragic events that led to Wallace's death
shocked and horrified viewers - and resulted in one of the show's most iconic catchphrases.
Michael B. Jordan initially auditioned for the character of Bodie in front of the casting
director Alexa Fogel in New York City. He was called back twice, and the auditions went
well, but he wasn't cast because Fogel thought he was too young. Jordan's friend J. D. Williams
was released in the role. Instead, Jordan was asked to audition for Wallace's younger
character, and he was cast in the role.
Jordan undertook little preparation for the job but dwelled on his memories growing up
on the streets of Newark to prepare. Jordan stated, "I live in a neighborhood with a lot
of drug traffickers, and I know some people who may or may not sell drugs, so this is
nothing new to me."
One week before the filming, the actor learned that his character was going to be slain.
David Simon, the show's creator, described Wallace as the emotional center of the first
season and lauded Jordan's performance, adding he was sorry the character had to leave but
that the story comes first. Simon sees the character as an example of the cliché "a
16-year-old drug dealer is still a 16-year-old drug dealer."
Jordan was eager to get his next assignment after finishing The Wire, and he landed a
role as Reggie on the long-running soap opera. Chadwick Boseman originated the part, but
after speaking out against his character's stereotypical portrayal, he was fired in 2003.
Jordan credited Boseman for the changes he witnessed in Reggie's character after taking
over.
Jordan said in a 2019 interview, "I was playing this role not understanding that a lot of
what I was going through was due to what Boseman had previously done for me." "It's difficult
to talk about how our actions influence others when we're in the heat of the moment. Despite
the issue, fans commend his performance on this series.
(Before we continue the list, here's a little fun fact about Michael B. Jordan. Many have
wondered if he is related to basketball player Michael Jordan. Guess what? He's not. Jordan
was named after his father, Michael A. Jordan, rather than the famous basketball star. The
"B" in his name stands for Bakari, which means "promising" in Swahili. MBJ truly is promising!)
The star hit the football field as East Dillon High's quarterback for the acclaimed series'
two final seasons. Jordan said in an interview that one of the things he would miss most
about filming the show was doing his own stunts.
Jordan plays Vince Howard, a young teen from a damaged home who is fighting to make his
way in the hit television drama about a Texas high school football team. When coach Eric
Taylor names Vince as his team's quarterback, he gives him something to strive for. During
his two years on the show, Jordan delivered a profound, memorable performance and quickly
became a fan favorite. Do you have any idea what’s the number one in our list? Well,
keep watching and find out!
Michael B. Jordan was cast as the lead in the biographical drama Fruitvale Station only
a year after Chronicle. The film is notable for several firsts. It is the first to star
Michael B. Jordan in the lead role, it is the first feature film directed by Ryan Coogler,
and it is the first of many collaborations between the actor and filmmaker.
Fruitvale Station is based on the true story of Oscar Grant III, a twenty-two-year-old
African American man who was shot and murdered by police on January 1, 2009, in Oakland,
California. After being involved in a fight on the subway, Grant was detained by police
and then fatally shot in the back. The film, both passionate and tragic, depicts Grant's
final twenty-four hours. Strong tension permeates the entire movie because, even as Grant goes
about his everyday routine, viewers are aware of the disaster that is about to unfold.
Viewers praised Michael B. Jordan's performance as Grant because he could bring empathy and
depth to the role. While Grant is shown as an imperfect guy with many flaws in the film,
the character is clearly relatable and deserves a second chance at life. Jordan is adept at
making three-dimensional human characters appear with both excellent and terrible attributes
rather than scripted characters. He was able to bring a news story to life with emotional
intensity and subtlety in Fruitvale Station.
The film demonstrated how much work remained in the fight for racial justice. More than
a decade after Grant's death, and in the aftermath of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless
others, the actor has been outspoken about the need for the battle to continue. Wait,
there's more!
Michael B. Jordan reunited with filmmaker Ryan Coogler for Creed, a spin-off of the
classic Rocky film series, in 2015. Adonis Creed, Apollo Creed's son, travels to Philadelphia
to persuade his late father's friend Rocky Balboa to train him as he aspires to be a
renowned fighter like his father. Jordan also played Adonis in Creed II, and according to
Indiwire, he is in talks to not only appear in but also direct the third Creed film.
As the latest edition in a long-running and iconic franchise like Rocky, Michael B. Jordan's
role in this picture catapulted him to superstardom. Critics praised Creed for recreating the same
underdog theme that made Sylvester Stallone so effective in the previous image, with Jordan's
charm carrying the film for much of the time. Jordan's portrayal of Adonis Creed is incredibly
physical, both in and out of the ring, and he is extremely convincing as a young fighter.
Jordan does an excellent job of playing the tortured hero and embracing the role. He has
the entire spectrum of ability to ensure that fans experience what his character is feeling.
After being a part of a great franchise like Rocky, Michael B. Jordan could only go one
place: Marvel Studios. Jordan featured as the antagonist Erik "Killmonger" Stevens in
2018's Black Panther, his third collaboration with filmmaker Ryan Coogler.
For many, Jordan's performance as the film's antagonist was the highlight of Black Panther.
The character, revealed to be a Wakandan descendent named N'Jadaka, is given a dynamic and sympathetic
past that allows audiences to relate to him. Jordan gives very distinct energy to the role,
who manages to be casual, regal, and insane all at the same time. Killmonger is a fearsome
foe for Chadwick Boseman's King T'Challa, thanks to Michael B. Jordan's incredible physique
and considerable makeup work to give him his characteristic self-inflicted wounds.
Jordan doesn't appear as Erik Killmonger until late in the film, but he makes the most of
his screen time worthwhile when he does. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe has done an
excellent job of constructing possibly the most widely connected franchise in contemporary
film history, it occasionally struggles to create compelling adversaries. Killmonger,
on the other hand, does not have that difficulty. Killmonger stands out from his bad-ass entrance
to his cool-as-hell wardrobe. That's not even mentioning his scary and, in many ways, tragic
performance.
MBJ isn't even the topliner of Black Panther, as that title belongs to the late Chadwick
Boseman. Still, he's so crucial to the film's success that it's difficult to envision anyone
else in the position. A typical leading man may be hesitant to portray a bad role in a
huge film, but Jordan embraced it so wholeheartedly here that it's difficult to award it anything
but full marks.
Michael B. Jordan appears to have transformed himself into a Hollywood legend in a short
period of time. Keep a lookout for Michael B. Jordan, who is sure to add more roles to
his already stellar career. Did we miss something on the list? Share your thoughts in the comments
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