Despite starring in Black Panther as one of the MCU’s most iconic villains, Michael B Jordan still fell short of embodying his dream role – but Robert Downey Jr.’s return as Doctor Doom means he could (and should) get a second sH๏τ. Michael B. Jordan starred in 2018’s Black Panther as the movie’s main villain, Erik Killmonger. His portrayal and stellar writing swiftly made the antagonist one of Marvel’s foremost fan favorites, boasting one of the MCU’s most sympathetic motives and proving to be particularly formidable both physically and strategically.
Despite successfully besting T’Challa in single combat, usurping his cousin from the Wakandan throne, and taking his place as the nation’s new king, Killmonger’s plan to distribute previously protected vibranium to destabilize world governments was ultimately thwarted. This culminated in a tooth-and-nail fight between the relatives and Killmonger’s death, ostensibly writing Michael B. Jordan out of the MCU for good. While he would reprise his role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in the Astral Plane, the fact that the MCU is about to welcome back Robert Downey Jr. has opened the door for Jordan to follow suit.
Michael B Jordan’s Childhood Dream Marvel Role Just Became Possible
He Wanted To Play T’Challa In Live-Action
Michael B. Jordan’s childhood dream Marvel role is Black Panther. He admitted as much in Marvel’s Black Panther: The Official Movie Special Book (via Bleeding Cool), ᴀsserting that he held a special place in his heart for T’Challa and that he had been a huge Marvel Comics fan in his youth. Before noting that Black Panther resonated with him as a child due to them both being people of color, Michael B. Jordan stated “Black Panther was actually always a character that I wanted to play one day when I was a kid.”
Michael B. Jordan played a superhero in 2015’s Fantastic Four as Johnny Storm, AKA the Human Torch.
It stands to reason that a young Michael B. Jordan would want to portray the superhero rather than the supervillain. He technically portrayed a Black Panther after Killmonger seized the mantle from his cousin, but he certainly wasn’t the hero of the story like T’Challa. Further still, his role as a Black Panther was as ephemeral as it was villainous, and it’s still likely that he would want to play the role of hero to appease his childhood dreams in a more substantial capacity. Within the new rules of the multiverse, this could become a reality.
Robert Downey Jr’s MCU Return As Doctor Doom Establishes A New Multiverse Rule
One Actor Can Now Portray Multiple Characters
Robert Downey Jr.’s return changes the rules surrounding variants. Despite being so inexorably tied to the de facto protagonist of the Infinity Saga, Iron Man, the stunning reveal that RDJ would be portraying the arch-villain of the multiverse saga changed everything known until then about variants. While Loki revealed that variants could be portrayed by different actors (such as Richard E. Grant’s Classic Loki), it was only after the Avengers: Doomsday reveal that it was established that prominent actors could portray entirely different yet no less prominent characters in the MCU.
While the prevailing theory suggests that RDJ’s Doom will be a Tony Stark variant, Robert Downey Jr. revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that Kevin Feige wanted to “Get Doctor Doom right,” hinting that Doom will not be a Stark variant. Furthermore, this possibility was reinforced by ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine, where Chris Evans portrays Johnny Storm without any suggestion of Storm being a Steve Rogers variant. Doom being identical to Tony Stark therefore raises a litany of complicated questions, though it also presents plenty of narrative opportunities that other characters might also benefit from.
Why Marvel Should Cast Michael B Jordan As The MCU’s Multiverse T’Challa
Michael B Jordan Is Actually The Perfect Candidate
Seeing Michael B. Jordan portray another character in the multiverse now makes so much more sense given RDJ will now be portraying Doctor Doom. MCU Phase 6 looks poised to delve deeper than any prior phase into the implications of the multiverse and the variants it contains, meaning it could feasibly introduce a T’Challa variant portrayed by a new actor. Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger shares at least one significant thing with RDJ’s Tony Stark: they both died in Earth-616. This avoids the same complicating things further by having one actor portraying two characters concurrently.
Ultimately, Michael B. Jordan is a phenomenal actor who deserves a second stab at the MCU.
Michael B. Jordan is now intimately familiar with the MCU as well as the source material, which significantly bolsters his credentials to portray his childhood dream role. Furthermore, his time opposite Chadwick Boseman in one of the MCU’s most highly regarded movies makes him a touching candidate to carry the torch. Then there are the emotional narrative possibilities presented by having a T’Challa variant look identical to Earth-616’s Killmonger, especially when appearing opposite the new Black Panther, Shuri. Ultimately, Michael B. Jordan is a phenomenal actor who deserves a second stab at the MCU.
Upcoming MCU Movies
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Captain America: Brave New World
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February 14, 2025
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Thunderbolts*
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May 2, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Release Date
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July 25, 2025
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Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
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Spider-Man Homecoming 4
- Release Date
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July 24, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars
- Release Date
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May 7, 2027
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Source: The Hollywood Reporter
