By Jamil Weeks

Michael B. Jordan has come a long way since his portrayal as the morally conflicted dope boy, Wallace, on HBO’s The Wire. Enjoying a fruitful career that began in the late 90s, Jordan never took his foot off the gas pedal. We have all grown up on his work in television and film throughout recent decades. From a child actor in minor roles to starring in blockbuster films, the man has put the work in and paid his dues. Jordan has since graduated to the levels of superstar actor, producer, and director. With this past weekend’s Academy Awards ceremony, Jordan reached the pinnacle as an actor by winning Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of the twins, Smoke and Stack, in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners. A significant win because only five other black actors have won that award in the past 60 years. In the aftermath of his Oscars win, a wave of negative sentiment circulated the internet like a gloomy storm to rain on Jordan’s parade. Social media platforms were peppered with comments claiming Sinners is overrated or was a rip-off of Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk til Dawn. Critics claimed Jordan only won due to the Timothée Chalamet backlash from his dismissive comments on ballet. A segment of Americans seemed determined to diminish Jordan’s accomplishments as an actor following his Oscars win. With a career spanning multiple decades, Jordan has consistently proven to be a formidable force in Hollywood. To the chagrin of the haters, Jordan’s path to Oscars glory proves he is as deserving of that win as any actor.

Many people flocked to theaters to watch Sinners last year anticipating a typical bloody vampire tale. What they received was a riveting social commentary wrapped up in a horror film that penetrated the culture, much like Jordan Peele’s Get Out from years prior. Leading up to the release of last year’s Sinners film, many skeptics were pleasantly surprised at how convincing Jordan was in playing dual roles. Jordan was brilliant in slipping subtle details into his performance to help audiences distinguish between the two brothers with ease. Smoke being the more reserved, hardened unofficial leader of the duo, and Stack being the more playful but dangerous twin. Jordan prepared for the role by developing different mannerisms for each brother, such as their stances or the way they walked. In addition, Jordan maintained a detailed journal of the backstory of each brother to fully embody their characters. In less capable hands, this film would have fallen apart if their acting was not as compelling or credible as Jordan was in Sinners. Jordan’s acting was so mesmerizing that the vampire plot took a back seat to the twins’ plight in opening a successful juke joint. As Smoke and Stack, Jordan dazzled crowds in each scene allowing us to become more emotionally invested than moviegoers anticipated for a standard vampire flick. Jordan proved he was capable of fleshing out the emotional mind state of each brother so the audience had a clear understanding of their motivations. In doing so, Jordan pulled off his best and most memorable performance of his career earning him an Oscar and an Actor Award at the SAG Awards.

Jordan winning an Oscar should not be surprising. Throughout his illustrious career, Jordan has taken on different types of characters demonstrating his versatility. Rather it be a small indie film or a big budget studio movie, Jordan has proven he can shine bright under any sized spotlight. Jordan is best known for taking on physically intense roles that are written to show his range in expressive emotional states as an actor. Rather scenes call for his character to be brooding, intimidating, or vulnerable, Jordan has the capacity to convincingly bring these characters to life. Through relentless preparation and thorough research, Jordan is able to embody each character he is chosen to play. Whether it is a gritty crime drama, period drama, bloody horror, or adventurous super hero film, Jordan accepted the challenge of taking on different types of roles so that he would not be typecast. While not classically trained as an actor, Jordan gained tons of experience with on-the-job training on countless television and movie sets. The end result are characters that have become pop culture darlings, like the villainous Erik Kilmonger or the ambitious but troubled Adonis Creed. Jordan can be a film’s ruthless antagonist or its heroic protagonist. So when critics spew ridiculous claims as if Jordan does not possess the essential acting chops to stand next to a Timothée Chalamet or a Leonardo DiCaprio, such statements ultimately ring hollow. Jordan has proven he can steal scenes from heavyweights like Sylvester Stallone, Chadwick Bozeman, Delroy Lindo, and Jamie Foxx.

Denzel Washington and Spike Lee. Leonardo DiCaprio/Robert DeNiro and Martin Scorsese. Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood. These are just a few examples of powerhouse actor/director duos in Hollywood. In 2026, it is safe to say we can now include Jordan and Coogler on that list. Part of Jordan’s maturity and growth as an actor comes from the symbiotic relationship between him and Coogler. Coogler has been instrumental in developing roles for Jordan that successfully balance the art of cinema with commercial relevance. Jordan took his career up a couple of notches with his heartbreaking performance as Oscar Grant in Coogler’s Fruitvale Station. From there, the pair revived the Rocky franchise for a new generation with Creed. Once Coogler was tapped to direct Marvel’s Black Panther, the pair collaborated once again to create arguably the most compelling supervillain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The chemistry between the two filmmakers culminated in Sinners, which scored an Oscars win for both men. Under Coogler’s watch, Jordan has expanded his filmmaking duties to producer and director before the age of 40. Being a director has enhanced Jordan’s acting skill set by giving him a better understanding of developing character arcs for his movie roles. Being a director can improve an actor’s technical and storytelling abilities that an actor needs when creating their character’s persona. The priceless knowledge and experience Jordan has gained from his work with Coogler has moviegoers eager for future collaborations between the two. With Coogler and Jordan expected to continue their mutually beneficial partnership in upcoming films, haters might be forced to wear those rabid scowls on their face for the foreseeable future as the pair might rack up future award nominations and wins.

Jordan has built his career from the ground up. With his professional background, he has been able to hone his skills and perfect his craft. With over two decades of experience in acting, Jordan has positioned himself to be a future Hollywood icon. Being relatively young, Jordan is only going to get better. From legendary television shows like The Sopranos, The Wire, and All My Children, to seminal movie IPs like the Rocky franchise or the MCU, Jordan has already cemented his place in Hollywood lore. To do what Jordan has done in the past few years in an increasingly polarizing political climate is further proof of the talent of Jordan. In a time where societal attacks on diversity have taken away opportunities from many black professionals, Jordan has not been swayed from continuing to explore the black experience in film unapologetically. Art is subjective and everyone has a right to their own opinion, as long as that opinion is informed. With his recent Oscars victory, Jordan continues to defy odds despite having to maneuver through a society that’s basks in anti-blackness. Soon the unwarranted rhetoric against Jordan’s Oscar win will fade away as he continues his domination in an industry that is a revolving door of Hollywood stars. Jordan will continue the tradition of opening doors for future black filmmakers the way those that came before him opened up doors for him. While some might prefer to try to extinguish his light, the fiery passion Jordan has for acting will only grow into a raging inferno. Congratulations to Michael B. Jordan and may his future remain bright.