Michael B. Jordan, an emerging Hollywood heavyweight, punches up
NEW YORK — If Michael B. Jordan’s path to this moment was condensed and edited, it might look, appropriately, like a training montage.
Images of Jordan cutting his teeth on the Baltimore streets of “The Wire” and the Texas football fields of “Friday Night Lights,” followed by hints of a soaring talent (“Red Tails,” ”Chronicle”), breakthroughs (“Fruitvale Station”) and setbacks (“Fantastic Four”) before reaching, with a pair of haymakers (“Creed,” ”Black Panther”), heavyweight status.
Parallel to Jordan’s steady rise has been the 31-year-old’s expanding sway behind the scenes in Hollywood. His production company, Outlier Society Productions, was among the first to embrace the inclusion rider, adopting the pledge to seek diverse casts and crews just days after Frances McDormand referenced it at the Oscars.
Jordan was also influential on a similar agreement by WarnerMedia, making Warner Bros. the sole major studio thus far to sign up.
“He’s always been a big-idea guy,” said Ryan Coogler, who directed Jordan in “Fruitvale Station,” ”Creed” and “Black Panther.” “He’s always been conscious of his own responsibility.”
“Creed II,” which opened in theaters Wednesday, finds Jordan’s character, Adonis Creed — like the actor, himself — adjusting to his newfound prominence, while still having to fight for what he believes in.
A big part of Jordan’s quest was “Black Panther,” in which he played Erik Killmonger. The part is ostensibly a villain, but in Jordan’s hands, Killmonger — a wounded, fatherless warrior bent on reparations through violence — has a depth uncommon to comic-book films.
Coogler praises his friend’s vulnerability in a complicated role.
“He was one of the few AfricanAmerican characters, and he was carrying the weight of that cultural representation,” Coogler said. “Mike brings a lot of the empathy with him, as a person and as a performer. That’s one of the things that makes him special. Almost as soon as you see him, you empathize with him.”
“Creed II,” a sequel to the acclaimed 2015 spinoff, was fast-tracked by MGM in part to capitalize on the success of “Black Panther” and Jordan’s growing profile. Director Steven Caple Jr. , whose feature debut was the 2016 indie film “The Land,” credits Jordan for the film’s emotional authenticity.
“He’s genuine. Then you meet him in person and you realize he’s the same way in real life. You can’t act that or fake that. He used that as a vehicle to get where he is today,” Caple said. “Right now, he’s expanding on that with his business, with his production company, with his brand, and still being for the people in many ways.”