Michael B. Jordan is a relatively young actor and his star is still rising, but he’s already filled a number of great roles. He’s played in critically acclaimed shows like The Wire and Friday Night Lights before moving to low-budget, emotionally-affecting films like Chronicle and Fruitvale Station. More recently, however, he has gotten starring roles is gigantic blockbuster films like the Fantastic Four reboot, the smash-hit Rocky sequel Creed and the massively-popular Marvel movie Black Panther. Jordan has an undeniable charm to him — infinitely likable in even his weaker films like That Awkward Moment. He gives powerful, multifaceted performances. He leaves it all on the field, so to speak. While the best of his career may very well be ahead of him, here are his best roles so far.
Adonis Johnson Creed, Creed (2015)
After decades of Rocky films with mostly diminishing returns, director Ryan Coogler and Jordan deliver a fresh take on the boxing franchise. Jordan plays Adonis Johnson, illegitimate son to the deceased hall-of-fame boxer Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). Filled with the passion for boxing which consumed his father, Adonis seeks out Creed’s rival-turned-friend Rocky Balboa to train him. It is one of the best films of the decade, for which Jordan provides the emotional anchor.
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Oscar Grant III, Fruitvale Station (2013)
Coogler and Jordan’s previous collaboration is a severely heartbreaking work. They dramatize the last day of 22-year-old Oscar Grant III’s life before he was fatally shot by Bay Area Rapid Transit police officers in 2009. Fruitvale Station is a brutal, stomach-churning, hard-to-swallow film which sticks with anyone who watches it for hours and days after the credits have rolled. Coogler was lauded for his work behind the camera — Fruitvale Station was his feature-length directorial debut — as was Jordan for his compelling, emotional performance.
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Wallace, The Wire (2002)
Jordan played one of the many characters which filled in the world of The Wire in the critically-acclaimed show’s first season. The young actor played Wallace, a 16-year-old small-time drug dealer with naive aspirations. He is wholly unprepared for when the world of drug dealing in his native Baltimore gets severe. Though Jordan’s run on the show was for only a season, he remains a favorite character of both fans and the showrunners alike.
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Steve Montgomery, Chronicle (2012)
In Josh Trank’s found-footage science fiction film, three classmates (Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, and Jordan) of varying social status in their school are brought together by a mysterious crystal they discover outside of a party. Their contact with the crystal gives them strange, telekinetic powers. While the powers bring them together, they also agitate their teenage insecurities and personal issues. It is an impressive low-budget film with Jordan delivering a great supporting performance.
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Vince Howard, Friday Night Lights (2009 to 2011)
In the hit television show about a Texas high school football team, Jordan’s plays Vince Howard a struggling kid from a broken home having a difficult time finding a sense of direction. He is given something to work toward by Coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) when he makes Vince his team’s quarterback. Jordan gives a deep, memorable performance during his two years on the show and became a fan favorite.
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