Top five collaborations between Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan, ranked

Very few filmmakers in Hollywood share the chemistry that Michael B. Jordan has with Ryan Coogler when it comes to cinema. Both stars have continued to collaborate on several films, and as they explore cinematic excellence and brilliant storytelling it's pretty evident that they're one of Hollywood's best collaborators.

In recent years Coogler and Jordan have found significant success with their film Sinners, which has gone on to become one of the most successful films of the year, much like every other film they have worked on together. From Marvel films, to crime thrillers and gothic horror flicks- this duo has seen it all. As we continue to swoon over their latest collaboration, here are the top five movies they have made together, and why Sinners emerges as the best one.

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5. Creed

Creed was the second collaboration between Ryan and Jordan where the latter played the role of Adonis "Donnie" Johnson—the son of former heavyweight champion Apollo Creed. The biographical drama explored Donnie's journey as he steps into the boxing ring and bears the weight of his father's legacy. Trained by Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa, his journey is intense, complex and shows the character's self-discovery.

The film was a success both commercially and critically and was a development of the Rocky franchise. It remains one of the best works of both Coogler and Jordan and a continuation of their cinematic chemistry that they have kept exploring close to a decade later.

4. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Jordan's role as Killmonger in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is an iconic one. Also known as Erik Stevens, he is widely considered one of the best villains Marvel has had. However, he only showed up for one scene (still stole the show!) for Wakanda Forever and it's when Shuri gets a vision in a trance, post T'Challa's death. However, contrary to what a lot of fans believe, Jordan's character was a part of the script even before Chadwick Boseman's passing. It's just Coogler had to revise the script somehow to make more space for Killmonger, as he told The New York Times.

"Killmonger was in the script that I wrote before Chad passed away. So I had to find a way for him to be in this one that felt organic to what the story was. "

3. Fruitvale Station

Coogler and Jordan's first collaboration established the years of dynamic they went on to have and it's not hard to see why. Ryan's debut as a director was a biographical film that explored the death of Oscar Grant, brilliantly played by Michael B. Jordan. It was screened at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award for U.S. dramatic film. It was also a box office success as it earned over $17 million with a budget of $900,000.

2. Black Panther

Jordan's debut in the MCU was one that stood out. As the adversary to Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa, Killmonger immediately became the villain we all hated but couldn't help but admire for his ways. The film was based on T'Challa becoming the king of Wakanda but gets threatened by Killmonger, who wants to begin a global revolution.

Black Panther has some of the best action scenes seen throughout the MCU and Coogler's direction shines bright. It's currently the most successful Marvel film on Rotten Tomatoes, where it has a score of 96%.

1. Sinners

Undoubtedly, Ryan and Michael's best collaboration to date is Sinners where the actor is slipping into the shoes of two vastly different characters as they face off against vampires.

It explores themes of gothic horror and vampiric terror, while also having underlying themes of music and racial victory. The film is visually stunning, with a plotline that explores so much more than just bloodthirsty vampires. It has received praise from stars all over Hollywood and is currently enjoying sweet success from the audience, critics and fans, all the while breaking more and more records.

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What Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan have said about collaborating with each other

Both stars have frequently opened up on the impact they both have had in each other's success. In an interview with New York Times, Jordan opened up on how Coogler gave him the confidence he needed as an actor and helped him 'fuel' his fire.

"Acting is a lonely journey. It’s a lot of noes and a lot of self-doubt in the beginning. I started young and you’re finding yourself, who you are in this industry that, for a long time, limited what you could be. At a pivotal time, when I was really questioning and doubting, he basically told me, “Yo, Mike, I believe you are a movie star and I want everybody else to see that, too.” And it gave me the reassurance and the confidence that I needed. It made me double down and fueled this fire that I had to make it a reality."

In another interview with Deadline, Coogler said,

"We have a working relationship outside of the things that are just him directing, me starring in, and also just you hit it right on the head as a sounding board. There’s a trust and taste and we workshop things. It is a brotherhood. So there is this dynamic between us; we definitely help each other out on things that we’re not directly involved in."

Meanwhile, Coogler had some words of praise for his star as he told Deadline about what it was like to watch him play the twins on Sinners. The director said,

"I wanted to write a role for him that was worth his time and energy, where the execution of it was incredibly difficult. And honestly, I have more confidence in Mike and his abilities than anybody. And I did not expect him to be as good as he was in this. Just flat out, I think these two performances are the two best performances I’ve ever seen him give. And knowing who he is, Mike personally is very close to who the Stack character is. But seeing him become Smoke, as somebody who’s a friend of his, was very unnerving."

Sinners is currently in theaters.