Michael B. Jordan And Ryan Coogler Write Their Own Rules
There’s something sacred about a creative partnership built on trust—the kind that doesn’t just lead to great work, but redefines what’s possible when two people fully see, challenge, and believe in one another. Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler share that kind of bond. It’s not transactional. It’s not curated for press runs or social media posts. It’s a quiet, unshakable alliance that has left a lasting mark on contemporary cinema.
On a warm December afternoon at Quixote Studios in West Hollywood, I was able to witness that rare connection. A soft haze hung in the air, and the day moved with the kind of ease unique to Los Angeles during that time of year. When Coogler and Jordan, both 38, wrapped their cover shoot, the mood was light—music playing, crew members chatting between takes, cameras snapping—but the moment I sat them down across from one another, everything changed. Suddenly, the energy in the room stilled. They weren’t just collaborators anymore. They were brothers locked into something deeper, shifting from playful banter to focused exchange. There’s a clarity between them, a kind of unspoken rhythm that can only come from years of refining their process, and showing up with purpose. It doesn’t really need an explanation; it lives in the atmosphere that surrounds them.
From the first response, their familiarity was effortless—seasoned with laughter, mutual admiration, and the kind of shorthand that only years of camaraderie can create. “I think in a different life we would’ve grown up together,” Jordan told Coogler with a grin. “We would’ve been friends in school, but we probably wouldn’t have got a lot of work done.” Coogler didn’t miss a beat. “We would’ve got work done—because you like to work,” he said, leaning in. “I think that’s a big part of it—we’re both about the work. As much as we joke and play, when it’s time to work, we get it done. I admire that about you because you’re very professional. You set a good example on set, and that’s the thing that’s been the most exciting about seeing you mature as an actor.”
Michael paused to consider Coogler’s words, but was quick to turn the spotlight back to the director. For him, the groundwork for his approach to acting was established early. Working with Ryan on Fruitvale Station—his first time leading a feature film—instilled a level of trust that would become a compass for everything that followed. “It always made me feel safe in situations when I was taking a creative swing or stepping outside my comfort zone,” Jordan said. “You always made me feel like I could do anything. That type of reassurance and confidence helped build my own self-confidence over the years.” The standard Coogler set—from how he led on set to how he showed up for his actors—became the baseline for Jordan’s expectations. “That was always the bar that I was comparing it to,” he said. “Which is extremely unfair to a lot of people. But at the same time, it let me know the level at which I wanted to work.”
That dynamic—molded from honest dialogue, respect, and a willingness to be challenged—has continued to evolve with each project. “You’re a gifted actor, a very sharp technician,” Coogler told him, “but you also have storytelling instincts, and that’s a very necessary aspect to the craft of acting.” He recalled the moments throughout their partnership when Jordan would offer an idea that disrupted the original plan—in the best way possible. “And each time,” Coogler said, “it’s been fantastic. It deepens the story.” That constant push and pull between them has helped shape every project they’ve taken on, including their latest and most compelling to date.
Their upcoming film, Sinners, marks their fifth collaboration in just over a decade. The arc of their work is easy to trace: from their debut feature in 2013, where Jordan’s portrayal signaled a turning point in his trajectory under Coogler’s direction, to Creed, Black Panther, Wakanda Forever, and now, something entirely different. The supernatural thriller is set in the Jim Crow South, where twin brothers—each played by Jordan—return home from Chicago with hopes of starting over, only to confront a sinister force that’s been waiting for them. It’s a bold departure from their past work, but one that reflects the continued evolution of their vision—and of Jordan himself, now stepping into dual roles with emotional and physical complexity.
For Jordan, inhabiting the minds of two distinct characters wasn’t just a performative exercise; it was a personal one. “It’s interesting because I’m still processing the two of them,” he said. “Because they both live inside me.” Stack, the wild card, is impulsive—driven by risk, ideas, and imagination. Smoke, by contrast, is pragmatic, strategic, a survivalist shaped by experience. The two may differ in temperament, but their loyalty runs in parallel to each other, and to those they love. “Hopefully people take away the passion and the persistence of these two characters,” Jordan added. “No matter what, they were going to look out for one another.” That duality between instinct and calculation is what gives the film its substance. As Coogler put it simply, “You did a whole lot of work—maybe more work than you’ve ever done.”
There are many ways to interpret Sinners. For some, it will be folkloric exploration. For others, it may be the layered character work or the allegorical undertones. And while the film leaves room for individual reflection, there’s no denying its cultural importance—especially in how it leans on blues music as a narrative thread. The artform born from the spiritual, emotional, and physical survival of Black people in America, became far more than a backdrop. In Coogler’s new project, it becomes a language—one that speaks to longing, inheritance, and ancestral memory.
Jordan took a moment during their conversation to ask the USC School of Cinematic Arts graduate a question that felt timely, as well as timeless: Why is it important to protect Black culture?
“It’s profound,” Coogler admitted. “I feel that it isn’t something that just one person should take on. In terms of protecting or preserving a culture, everybody has their role in that, right? As a filmmaker, I think my responsibility is to show it.”
That idea—of showing rather than explaining—is embedded in every frame of Ryan’s picture. The film doesn’t lecture or preach, it mirrors the lived realities of a people who have survived by finding beauty in the burden. “For a good part of those hundred years,” Coogler said, referring to the age of filmmaking, “the power of cinema has been wielded against our culture.” His goal is to use that same medium to not only restore truth, but to imagine possibility. “While I have this opportunity, it’s my job to portray the culture as what it is, as what it truly is and also what it could be.”
Michael nodded in agreement. “The movies, the characters, and the stories that you choose to tell and what you want to put your lens onto, I think have all been very personal and inspiring,” he said. “I know the culture and the community, when they watch your films, they see a piece of themselves.”
In Sinners, that lens widens. The stakes are paranormal, yes, but the roots are real—anchored in the experiences, traditions, and truths of communities across generations. Through rich characters, an evocative visual language, and a score steeped in cultural resonance, Coogler keeps doing what he’s always done: reimagine Blackness on screen.
Even decades into their respective careers, Jordan and Coogler are still venturing into new territory. Sinners is fluid, but at its core, it leans into horror—something its director embraced willingly, but something Jordan approached with a bit of hesitation. “It’s the one genre I don’t personally gravitate to off top,” he admitted, which drew an amused smile from Coogler. “I don’t enjoy being scared,” Jordan added.
The set may have been filled with an eerie tension on camera, but behind the scenes, the tone was anything but grim. There was inclusion, clear communication, and a consistent flow that kept things on track for everyone involved.
That energy didn’t go unnoticed. The climate during filming created a space where everyone felt empowered. Wunmi Mosaku, who stars as Annie in Sinners, recalled that environment with admiration. “I think what stood out to me the most was the harmony between the two of them,” she said of Jordan and Coogler. “They’re so in sync and they have such an understanding of each other’s strengths, where they need to push each other, and where their own strengths are in service to each other.”
“There’s also this feeling of family on the set—with the heads of departments and with the cast and with the whole crew,” Mosaku noted. “The two of them are so integral to that feeling of family and community on the set, because there’s no doubt only trust between them, we all know we’re good to follow.”
Every project that Coogler and Jordan have done collectively was made with principle. They may be veterans in their own right, but each new film finds them pushing themselves and one another in meaningful ways. That longevity, and the determination behind it, is something both men take seriously—especially now, with increased visibility on their work and greater opportunities to shape what’s next.
When asked what the biggest lesson he’s learned in the industry is, Jordan didn’t hesitate. “It’s never just a job—I don’t think it’s ever just one role. Every choice that you make means something and can potentially always mean something. I think there’s an intentionality that you need to have.” And perhaps just as vital, how you treat people. “A PA is not always going to be a PA,” Jordan added. “That assistant isn’t always going to be an assistant—that’s a future executive, that’s a future director, that’s a future department head. So, you always want to lead with kindness.”
Coogler reflected on his own lessons too—particularly the obligation that comes with being a Black storyteller in an industry that hasn’t always made space for the truth. “As Black people, we have a very unique relationship to art and commerce in general,” he said. “And this film is about that in a major way.” He spoke to the irony of how Black culture has long shaped global trends in music, art, and fashion—while the people behind it have often been excluded from the power structures that shape the narrative. “That relationship is something that’s very special and has to be respected,” he added. “In a crazy way, this movie is really about that.”
In the days leading up to the interview, I had the chance to screen an early cut of Sinners at the Warner Bros. Lot in Burbank. Michael was there, along with a few studio executives, and what struck me most was how deliberate he was about where he sat in the theater—as if carefully choosing a vantage point that would let him feel the full weight of what they’d created. And that weight is undeniable. The upcoming release is immersive and deeply Southern in both style and substance. Beneath its many layers lies something grounded: a reflection of how Blackness—its beauty, its burden, its brilliance—continues to birth culture, even when under constant threat.
Which, in some ways, brings us back to where the duo began. Back to Fruitvale. Back to the risk of choosing each other when they were still figuring things out. That risk paid off—and those words are an understatement. Now, they’re doing something even more audacious: expanding the genre, strengthening the narrative, and doing it on their own terms.
As Coogler stated, “The power of what you put out on the screen, oftentimes is going to be rare at multiple levels.”
So is the bond that’s powered it all.
Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler aren’t just making movies. They’re making meaning. Together.
CREDITS
Written by Okla Jones
Photographed by Texas Isaiah
Styled by Jason Bolden
MBJ Barber: Jove Edmond
RC Barber: Jalon Webster
Grooming: Tasha Reiko Brown using Boy de Chanel at The Wall Group
Set Design: Priscilla Lee
Tailors: Shirlee Idzakovich & Macy Idzakovich
Lighting Director: Sebastian Johnson
Lighting Assistant: Lance Williams
Photography Assistant: JayBella Banks
Digital Technician: Kim Tran
Fashion Assistant: John Mumblo
Grooming Assistant: Krishna Branch
Set Assistant: Adam Quinn
Post Production: One Hundred Berlin
Production by The Morrison Group
Production Manager: Cecilia Alvarez Blackwell
Production Assistants: Alex Dewey, Melissa Mendez, & Jordan Mack
