Marvel & Sinners Star Michael B. Jordan Just Named the Role That Changed Everything
Before superhero stardom, Michael B. Jordan says his true turning point was a 2002 drama role — the performance he credits as the one that defined his career.
Michael B. Jordan just named the role that flipped the switch for him, and no, it is not the one you are thinking. Not Creed. Not Killmonger. He is pointing back to where a lot of us first noticed him: a painful, unforgettable turn on a 2002 Baltimore crime drama.
The role that changed everything
Talking to Entertainment Tonight, Jordan said the part that really set his career in motion was Wallace on The Wire. Quick clarification before anyone yells at the screen: The Wire is a TV series, not a movie, and it premiered in 2002. Jordan was a teenager playing a kid way out of his depth, and it hit hard.
"I think the biggest one that I can think of, off the top of my head, is probably Wallace from The Wire."
He explained that being surrounded by veteran actors and storytellers on that set is where he actually fell in love with the work. The way he tells it, The Wire was the classroom and the spark: he learned, he got inspired, and that is where the whole thing really started rolling.
A big honor in a very busy year
Jordan was just given the 39th Annual American Cinematheque Award on November 20, 2025, recognized for what he has done lately both in front of and behind the camera. That tracks with how this year has played out for him: fans have been loudly backing his dual performance as the identical Smokestack Twins in Ryan Coogler's Sinners as one of 2025's standouts. Yes, identical twins called the Smokestack Twins — very specific, very fun to watch him chew on.
On Sinners and awards-season noise
ET floated the idea that Sinners could end up being one of his most important projects as awards season heats up. Jordan did not spike the ball — he spread the credit around.
"Just being a part of the conversation this late in the year, and people are still excited about the movie that we made — it speaks volumes. It was really a family and a team thing."
He kept the focus on the group, calling the movie a celebration of their great work and stressing that everyone involved had a hand in it. Or as he put it: "We are all enthusiastic about celebrating each other. So, we try to do that as much as we can."
Bottom line: for a Marvel star who has stacked up a lot of flashy roles and even moved into directing, Jordan still circles back to Wallace. The Wire lit the fuse — Sinners might be the big fireworks show. We will see how loud it gets when the trophies start getting handed out.