Michael B. Jordan has established himself as a versatile global movie star by leading a range of films over the years, often by aligning with established intellectual properties. This strategy has proven effective at the box office, with many of his highest-grossing films successfully reaching their target audiences. His recent hit, Sinners, has grossed $365 million, highlighting his growing influence and underlining the potential benefits of pursuing more original projects.
Jordan first captured widespread attention with the unexpected success of Chronicle in 2012. In 2015, he starred in two franchise-driven films, debuting as Adonis Creed in Ryan Coogler’s soft reboot of the Rocky series and playing the Human Torch in Fox’s reboot of Fantastic Four. While Fantastic Four was a commercial and critical failure, Creed revived the Rocky franchise, eventually blossoming into a trilogy led by Jordan.
The peak of Jordan’s commercial success came with his role as the antagonist Erik Killmonger in 2018’s Black Panther, which earned $1.3 billion worldwide. This role not only elevated Jordan’s career but also yielded notable box office increases with Creed II grossing $214 million and Creed III reaching $276 million in 2023.
Box Office Highlights of Michael B. Jordan’s Leading Films
Among Michael B. Jordan’s top films by worldwide earnings are Black Panther at $1.3 billion, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with $859 million, his recent original movie Sinners at $365 million, Creed III at $276 million, and Creed II at $214 million. The success of Sinners illustrates Jordan’s ability to headline original content that resonates widely, marking a significant milestone in his career and signaling a potential shift in his project choices.
Why Original Films Should Play a Larger Role in Jordan’s Career
Sinners stands out as a fully original story, introducing new characters and a fresh take within the vampire genre, which has been extensively explored in cinema. Jordan and Coogler’s decision to pursue originality rather than adapt or reboot a known property contrasts with Jordan’s previous pattern of franchise involvement and adaptations. This move suggests that original films can offer distinct creative and commercial rewards.
Jordan’s filmography has been dominated by franchises, sequels, reboots, and adaptations for much of his career. Prior to Sinners, his last entirely original movie was the 2014 romantic comedy That Awkward Moment. Since then, his roles have spanned reboots like Fantastic Four, franchise continuations such as Creed and its sequels, and adaptations including Black Panther, Fahrenheit 451, Just Mercy, Without Remorse, Space Jam: A New Legacy, and others.
Looking ahead, Jordan’s upcoming projects remain heavily focused on intellectual property. He is attached to the remake of The Thomas Crown Affair, will appear alongside Will Smith in I Am Legend 2, return for Creed IV, star in a Rainbow Six adaptation, and collaborate once again with Coogler on the true-story film Wrong Answer. While these projects bring strong potential, they represent non-original narratives.
A Chance for Jordan to Champion Original Storytelling in Hollywood
With the notable success of Sinners and the abundance of IP-based projects available to him, Michael B. Jordan is positioned as a powerful advocate for original filmmaking. His influence and star power could help encourage the production of more original stories in Hollywood. For example, rather than remaking The Thomas Crown Affair, Jordan could channel his talents into developing a fresh, original thriller that carries similar thematic weight without relying on existing titles.
Many of Jordan’s upcoming movies were in development before Sinners achieved its commercial breakthrough, but this success might inspire him to adjust his future choices. Combined with his production company Outlier Society and his overall deal with Amazon MGM, Jordan has the resources and industry standing to push for original projects that demonstrate both creative innovation and box office viability.
