Michael B. Jordan is opening up about a powerful lesson he learned after stepping away from one of the most intense roles of his career.
While reflecting on his time playing Erik Killmonger in Marvel’s 2018 blockbuster Black Panther, the actor revealed that the role stayed with him long after filming wrapped, and ultimately led him to therapy.
Speaking with CBS Sunday Morning, Jordan shared that he needed time and professional support to fully detach from the character.
“After the movie, it kind of stuck with me for a bit,” he said.
“Went to therapy, talked about it, found a way to kind of just decompress. And I think at that point, I was still learning that I needed to decompress from a character.”
Jordan explained that acting can often be an isolating process, both emotionally and physically, which made the experience even more intense.
“Acting is a solo journey a lot of times,” he added.
“Auditioning by yourself, practicing by yourself. There’s a lot of preparation and the experience and the journey. So learning as I went, I [realised] that, ‘Oh man, I still got a little something on me I need to get off.’ You know, talking is really important.”
The Creed star said the difficulty in letting go came from how deeply he immersed himself in Killmonger’s mindset before filming began.
During preparation, Jordan isolated himself and limited communication with his loved ones. That emotional distance mirrored the character’s own pain and anger.
“Erik didn’t really know a lot of love. I think Erik didn’t experience that,” Jordan explained.
“He had a lot of betrayal, a lot of failed systems around him that shaped him and his anger and his frustration.”
Jordan starred in Black Panther alongside the late Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Daniel Kaluuya, Winston Duke, and others under the direction of Ryan Coogler.
The film became a cultural milestone and a massive success, earning $1.34 billion worldwide after its February 2018 release.
Looking back, Jordan’s experience highlights the emotional weight actors can carry when fully committing to complex roles, and the importance of mental health care in helping them move forward.
