Michael B. Jordanhas solidified his spot as a global movie star capable of leading a variety of movies over the years. This has largely been done as he’s attached himself to a variety of IP. That’s proven to be a smart strategy at the box office, withMichael B. Jordan’s best moviesoften finding their intended audiences.
After being part of the surprise superhero success withChroniclein 2012, the actor was cast as the lead in two major franchise relaunches for 2015. This is where he debuted as Adonis Creed in Ryan Coogler’sCreed, the soft-reboot of theRockyfranchise, and played Human Torch in Fox’s second attempt atFantastic Four. The latter was a huge misfire, butCreedrevived a dead franchise that’s become a trilogy for Jordan.
The biggest success of Michael B. Jordan’s career remains 2018’sBlack Panther, where he played the villainous Erik Killmonger. That movie made $1.3 billion worldwide, and Jordan has reaped the rewards of that performance in the years since.Creed IIhad a $40 million increase over the original’s $174 million performance, andCreed IIIthen set a new franchise high at $276 million in 2023.
$1.3 billion
$859 million
$365 million
$276 million
Creed II
$214 million
Now, Jordan is once again relishing the success of a major hit, asSinnersmade $365 million. His vampire movie reunion with Cooglerset box office recordsafter earning the reputation as one of 2025’s best movies.Sinnersis sure to be a defining film in Jordan’s career, and it provides a valuable lesson that can be applied going forward.
Michael B. Jordan Should Make More Original Movies After Sinners
His Upcoming Slate Is Filled With IP
One of the best things aboutSinnersis that it is an entirely original movie with new characters and a fresh story. Vampire movies have been around for a long time, but Coogler and Jordan found a way to make their version stand apart. It’s notablethat they took this path rather than trying to adapt an existing IP to help at the box office or tackle something even bigger, likeBlade,for Marvel Studios.
It would be great to see Jordan take a similar approach to the rest of his career. There’s a time and a place for using IP, but the fact of the matter is thathis past and future filmography is overstuffed with franchises, sequels, remakes, reboots, or any other type of adaptationthat makes the film a non-original.
Before makingSinners, the 2014 romantic comedyThat Awkward Momentwas Jordan’s last wholly original film. He followed that up withFantastic Four(reboot),Creed(reboot/sequel),Black Panther(franchise/comic adaptation),Fahrenheit 451(remake/book adaptation),Kin(short adaptation),Creed II(sequel),Just Mercy(true story adaptation),Without Remorse(reboot/book adaptation),Space Jam: A New Legacy(sequel/reboot),A Journal for Jourdan(memoir adaptation),Black Panther: Wakanda Forever(sequel), andCreed III(sequel).
Sinnerswas the first original movie Jordan has put his star power behind in nearly a decade, and there’s not another one in sight, unfortunately. His upcoming projects will see him remakeThe Thomas Crown Affair, join Will Smith forI Am Legend 2, return forCreed IV, headline aRainbow Sixadaptation, and a true story film with Coogler calledWrong Answer. All those movies are exciting in their own right, but they’re all non-original stories.
Jordan is the type of star who can help get more original movies made in Hollywood
Based on the success ofSinnersand the clear abundance of IP at his fingertips, Jordan is the type of star who can help get more original movies made in Hollywood. Using hisThomas Crown Affairremake as an example, he could have created a similar film without relying on IP to produce something new rather than remaking this property again.
Since many of these projects were already in development beforeSinnersbecame a mega box office success, hopefully,Michael B. Jordanwill recalibrate his approach a bit going forward. With his stardom, a successful production company in Outlier Society, and an overall deal with Amazon MGM, there’s no reason he can’t help push forward more original movies with a track record for success as good as his.
