Whether he’s portraying the heartbreaking downfall of a teenage drug dealer on Baltimore’s streets or taking on dual roles as vampire-fighting twins in 1930s Mississippi, Michael B. Jordan has built one of the most versatile careers in Hollywood. When we asked the Reddit community on r/Cinema to name his best performances, the responses revealed five roles that showcase his remarkable range. (Spoilers ahead.)
1. Wallace, “The Wire” (2002)
At just 14 years old, Jordan had his breakout role as a high schooler caught up in the game on the first season of HBO’s “The Wire.” The actor conveys Wallace’s vacillation between compassionate child and hardened criminal with devastating vulnerability, particularly in that heartbreaking death scene (IYKYK).
2. Oscar Grant, “Fruitvale Station” (2013)
Jordan portrays the final 24 hours of real-life Bay Area resident Grant before he was fatally shot by police in Ryan Coogler’s nuanced, raw, and unflinching portrait of a flawed man trying to be better for his family.
3. Adonis Creed, “Creed” (2015)
The physical transformation Jordan took on to play Apollo Creed’s illegitimate son in this “Rocky” spinoff is ridiculously impressive, but even that pales in comparison to his potent chemistry with Sylvester Stallone.
4. Erik Killmonger, “Black Panther” (2018)
Grounding his character’s rage in legitimate pain and political conviction helped Jordan create one of the most compelling, sympathetic villains in the Marvel universe.
5. The Smokestack Twins, “Sinners” (2025)
Jordan differentiates identical twins Smoke and Stack through acting choices that start subtle (still, solemn Smoke versus fidgety, antsy Stack) and grow more grandiose as Stack turns into a vampire.