Jordan played the complicated antagonist Erik “Killmonger” Stevens in both “Black Panther” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

Michael B. Jordan sought therapy to help him ‘decompress’ from Black Panther character

Jordan played the complicated antagonist Erik "Killmonger" Stevens in both "Black Panther" and "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

By Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

EW's editorial guidelines

January 4, 2026 7:55 p.m. ET

Michael B. Jordan in 'Black Panther'. Credit: Marvel/Disney/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

Michael B. Jordan is not ashamed to ask for help.

The A-lister and Oscar nom hopeful for his work in *Sinners *recently* *reflected on a previous set of collaborations with its director, Ryan Coogler.

"It kind of stuck with me for a bit," Jordan told *CBS Sunday Morning*, regarding his villainous turn as Erik "Killmonger" Stevens in the Marvel tentpole *Black Panther*, and its supersized sequel, *Black Panther: Wakanda Forever*.

Jordan revealed that he "went to therapy and talked about it. Found a way to kind of just decompress, I think at that point still learning that I needed to decompress from a character."**

Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan fight in 'Black Panther'. ©Marvel Studios 2018

The *Black Panther *films concern the fictional African nation of Wakanda, a utopian kingdom that's isolated itself from the rest of the world by posing as an underdeveloped state. Jordan plays the primary antagonist of the films, a former Navy SEAL who challenges his cousin T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman), a protectionist, for the throne in hopes of sharing advanced Wakandan technology with dispossessed people across the world.

Killmonger is a complex adversary, not outright villainous and not quite altruistic either. Jordan explained that his therapy around the role "spiraled into a bigger conversation and self-discovery of, like, 'Okay, you know, I think that's something that's necessary for people.'"**

Octavia Spencer celebrates 'iconic' 'Sinners' duo Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan for EW's 2025 Entertainers of the Year

Michael B. Jordan, Ryan Coogler on making a bloody mess during 'Sinners'

"Especially men. I think it's good for them to go and talk. That's something I'm not ashamed of at all, and very proud of," Jordan explained. His time in conversation with a therapist "definitely helped me trying to be a good communicator and a well-rounded person, inside and out."

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

*Speaking with *around the time of the first film's release in 2018, Jordan, who had previously portrayed Johnny "Human Torch" Storm in 2015's *Fantastic Four*, shared why he was initially excited to play a darker character this time around.

"Being the protagonist usually means being morally correct and being pained with making good decisions all the time," he said. "When you're an antagonist, you can blur those lines and be a little less on-point, morally. There's less boundaries, you know what I’m saying? You can be a little loose and have a little more fun. It's dope."

Jordan achieved widespread acclaim for his turn as Killmonger, including a nomination at the 2019 Critics Choice Awards, and trophies at the Teen Choice Awards, NAACP Image Awards, and numerous local critics awards ceremonies.****

You can watch Jordan's full interview on *CBS Sunday Morning *above.

- Celebrities & Creators

- Entertainment Industry Roles

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Actors”