Michael B. Jordan feels 'tremendous sense of joy' seeing Ryan Coogler's success

Michael B. Jordan feels a "tremendous sense of joy" seeing his frequent collaborator Ryan Coogler receive critical acclaim.

The Wire actor starred in Coogler's feature directorial debut Fruitvale Station back in 2013 and has since worked with him three more times, on 2015's boxing drama Creed, 2018's Marvel superhero movie Black Panther and 2025's supernatural thriller Sinners.

Their most recent outing, in which Jordan plays twins Smoke and Stack, has been a major commercial and critical success, and it is currently nominated for a record-breaking 16 Oscar nominations.

Reflecting on their journey together, Jordan told The Hollywood Reporter that he was overjoyed to see Coogler "get his flowers" with his fifth film.

"I feel proud," he said. "To go through every stage of filmmaking and creation - writing through the studio system and independent film, from preexisting IP to making original IP - this entire journey just feels full. It feels complete. To see everybody embrace him, for him to get his flowers this way, it's just a tremendous sense of joy."

Out of their four collaborations, Jordan sees Sinners as Coogler's most personal so far, adding, "I see Ryan the most in this movie."

Coogler's wife and producing partner Zinzi Coogler concurred, saying, "This film is deeply reflective of him. It's personal in a way that's woven into the DNA of every character and every choice."

Among this year's awards nominations, Coogler has been personally nominated for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture as a producer at the Oscars, BAFTAs and Golden Globes.

The filmmaker recently won the Best Original Screenplay BAFTA, a prize he is widely expected to receive at the Oscars on 15 March.