Michael B. Jordan is considered one of the best actors of the 21st century as he makes his mark on several major Hollywood franchises, including the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Rocky franchise. He also has several big projects on the horizon, including developing a Val-Zod TV series with HBO Max and starring alongside Will Smith in I Am Legend 2. For those looking to acquaint themselves with Jordan’s work before his subsequent major roles, read ahead to find out his ten best films and where to stream them.
Jordan started working as a child model in the industry before moving on to guest appearances and minor roles in soap operas and procedural dramas like All My Children and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He made his cinematic breakthrough starring in Fruitvale Station, which marked his first movie with director Ryan Coogler and one of his best films to date. The film is based on the tragic true story of Oscar Grant, with Jordan taking on the lead role alongside co-stars Octavia Spencer, Kevin Durand, and Chad Michael Murray.
Not only would the film kickstart Jordan’s career, but it would also be the beginning of a long and fruitful working relationship with Coogler. By 2015, director Coogler had tapped him to star opposite Sylvester Stallone as Adonis “Donnie” Creed in the Rocky spinoff, Creed. All three critically and commercially successful films in the Creed series are among Jordan’s best work. Three years after Creed, he would work with Coogler again for arguably the best movie of his career: Black Panther.
The film is the only MCU movie to receive a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars, with Jordan complimenting Chadwick Boseman’s iconic portrayal of T’Challa with his nuanced performance as Erik Killmonger. He would reprise his role for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever alongside Angela Bassett and Letitia Wright. Throughout his career, he has also starred in a few hidden gems like Just Mercy and Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox.
Here are Michael B. Jordan’s ten best roles, ranked by his performance and the quality of the film, as well as where to watch them.
