Michael B. Jordan’s 8 best films, ranked
Michael B. Jordan has become one of the most compelling actors of his generation. With a chance at his first Oscar for his performance in Sinners, we look back at the films that defined his rise
By Cayle Reid
A YEAR AGO, not many would have tipped Michael B. Jordan to be the odds-on favourite to win the Oscar for Best Actor. But if we know anything about the film industry, it’s that awards campaigns can be hard to predict – and the biggest rises can come out of nowhere.
The signs, for Jordan, were always there. His early career hinted at his emotional range, before he turned to blockbuster roles that confirmed his potential. He’s spent the past decade building one of the most dynamic filmographies in modern Hollywood. Now, with the Oscars right around the corner and Timothée Chalamet’s momentum slipping due to a spate of ballet and opera-related controversy, Jordan looks set to get the nod for Best Actor – and the spotlight on his career has never been brighter.
If he does get his name called at the Oscars, it will be a coronation for Jordan, and the culmination of decades of work. His journey is best understood through the films that shaped it. From the performances that first put him on our radars to the box office juggernauts that made him a household name, these are the best films of Michael B. Jordan’s career.
8. Chronicle
Jordan was cast in Chronicle not long after his breakout role in Friday Night Lights. The found-footage thriller follows a trio of friends who stumble into telekinetic powers after discovering a mysterious crystal. The film was a major hit, grossing $126 million on a budget of $15 million, and it helped bring Jordan into the mainstream. MBJ and director Josh Trank would team up again with 2015’s Fantastic Four, which is perhaps Jordan’s worst-received film. The partnership probably should have ended here.
7. Creed II
Ryan Coogler stepped away from the Creed series to focus on Black Panther, but the sequel was still a worthy follow-up in his absence – though it is the weakest of the trilogy. While Jordan’s performance was commendable, the film felt like a pretty glaring rehash of some familiar Rocky story beats, with Adonis facing off against the son of Rocky’s former nemesis, Ivan Drago.
6. Just Mercy
After a run of franchise films where he appeared predominantly shirtless, Just Mercy helped reestablish Jordan as less of a heartthrob and more of an actor to be taken seriously. The film positions him as a determined attorney defending a wrongly accused murderer, played by Denzel Washington. Just Mercy, overall, did not receive much acclaim on the awards circuit, but it did help reposition MBJ as an actor who can take on prestige roles.
5. Creed III
The most impressive part of Creed III might not be MBJ’s performance, but the fact that he also directed the film. An improvement on its predecessor, the film managed to leave Rocky’s shadow, focusing instead on the rivalry between Adonis and his childhood friend Damien Anderson (Jonathan Majors).
4. Black Panther
There’s a good chance that Black Panther wouldn’t be the great film that it is if it didn’t have such an intriguing, magnetic villain in Erik Killmonger. Jordan brings Killmonger to life in a way that makes audiences understand his plight, his anger, and his desire for a violent revolution – even if we don’t necessarily agree with his tactics.
3. Creed
The first film in the Creed series proved to be a knockout. In the film, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) passes the torch to Adonis Creed (MBJ), the son of his fallen friend Apollo. This was the role that established Jordan as an A-lister, putting him on a trajectory to someday contend for Oscars. His charisma made him easy to root for, and his balance of seriousness and charm helped make Creed a hit.
2. Fruitvale Station
Jordan’s first collaboration with director Ryan Coogler was Fruitvale Station – and the two would prove to have a fruitful connection. Fruitvale Station tells the true story of Oscar Grant (Jordan), who was shot and killed by a negligent police officer in 2009. The film follows Grant on the last night of his life as he meets with his girlfriend, attempts to get his life in order, attends his mother’s birthday party and sees the New Year’s fireworks in San Francisco, before he was killed at Fruitvale Station on his way home in the early hours of the morning. Jordan brings immense emotional depth to a difficult role, portraying a man who was characterised as both a gentle soul and a tough guy.
1. Sinners
Michael B. Jordan is a revelation in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, in which he takes on a dual role as twin brothers Smoke and Stack. The pair are bootleggers who have returned home to the Mississippi Delta after a stint working for Al Capone in Chicago, with the intention of opening a juke joint. Spoilers, in case you haven’t seen one of the biggest films of 2025 yet, but their plans go awry. Jordan, as both Smoke and Stack, is the film’s driving force. The brothers are distinct from each other based solely on their personalities (credit to MBJ there), and Jordan, in both cases, captures their boastful, brash nature as well as their insecurities. This was a career-defining performance, one that could net him the most coveted prize an actor can receive.
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