A ranking of the top collaborations between Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan.

      Director and screenwriter Ryan Coogler has directed just five feature films so far, and all of them have starred Michael B. Jordan. The collaboration between Coogler and Jordan has proven to be highly successful, as seen by the impressive box office results of Sinners over the past weekend. This film even surpassed the current box office leader, A Minecraft Movie, in its third weekend.

      With Sinners on track to become a success, it's time to review and rank the five films that Coogler and Jordan have worked on together, from least to most impressive. While it seems unlikely that Jordan will be a part of all of Coogler’s future projects, their partnership is set to continue for the foreseeable future, as they consistently bring out the best in one another.

      5. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

      Marvel Studios

      Although Jordan’s character met his demise in the previous installment, he returned briefly as Eric Killmonger in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This sequel primarily serves as a tribute to Chadwick Boseman, who lost his battle with colon cancer in 2020. Since Boseman couldn’t reprise his role as T’Challa, the decision was made to kill off his character in the film’s opening scene, allowing his sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright), to grieve for him before stepping up as the new Black Panther.

      Jordan maximizes his limited screen time by questioning Shuri about how she will respond to the threats facing her family and her nation. It’s evident that even in the afterlife, Killmonger remains unchanged and seems aware of events on Earth following his death. Although Shuri may not have wanted to meet Killmonger in the Ancestral Plane, his presence did leave an impact on her. Given the brevity of his role, Wakanda Forever sits at the bottom of our ranking of his collaborations with Coogler.

      Watch Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on Disney+.

      4. Creed (2015)

      MGM

      In 2015, Coogler’s Creed brilliantly revived the Rocky franchise. The first of three films established that the late Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) had an illegitimate son, Adonis “Donnie” Creed, and Coogler cast Jordan to portray this character.

      Having grown up without his father, Donnie feels compelled to follow in Apollo’s footsteps as a boxer. Sylvester Stallone returned as Rocky Balboa, Apollo’s former rival turned mentor, who takes on the role of Donnie’s trainer in this film. The emotional connection that forms between Donnie and Rocky is both engaging and cathartic. The film presents genuine emotions and is a commendable addition to the Rocky series.

      Watch Creed on Prime Video.

      3. Sinners (2025)

      Warner Bros. Pictures / Warner Bros. Pictures

      In their fifth collaboration, Coogler chose Jordan to co-star with himself! Sinners features Jordan playing twins Elijah “Smoke” Moore and Elias “Stack” Moore, both World War I veterans and former associates of Chicago criminal Al Capone. In 1932, the Moore brothers return to their Mississippi hometown to start anew by opening a juke joint.

      As this film has just been released, we will refrain from revealing too many details. It will suffice to say that the brothers face a supernatural evil that proves to be their greatest challenge yet. Jordan delivers two outstanding performances in a film that has quickly emerged as one of the few original productions to succeed in 2025.

      Sinners is currently in theaters.

      2. Black Panther (2018)

      Marvel Studios

      In the first Black Panther, Jordan made a significant impact as Eric Killmonger, portraying the villain as someone who sees himself as the story’s hero. Coogler deepened Killmonger’s backstory, which helped the audience empathize with him. This so-called villain also proposed that the world’s most advanced nation should take greater steps to assist oppressed Black individuals globally. Killmonger aimed to harness Wakanda’s weapons to incite a worldwide uprising.

      Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa served as a thoughtful hero and a strong counterpoint to Killmonger. Ultimately, T’Challa acknowledges that Killmonger was right about Wakanda's obligations, even though he disagrees with Killmonger’s violent methods. Jordan’s final scene in the film provided Killmonger with a memorable exit from the MCU, leading fans to call for his return. Jordan even reprised his role as Killmonger in Marvel’s What If? animated series.

      Watch Black Panther on Disney+.

      1. Fruitvale Station (2013)

      The Weinstein Company

      In his directorial debut, Fruitvale Station, Coogler cast Jordan as Oscar Grant III, a young Black man who was tragically shot and killed in 2009 while being detained by transit authorities in Oakland, California. The film chronicles the last day of Grant’s life