Michael B. Jordan was taken to a "dark place" when he took on the role of Erik Killmonger in ‘Black Panther’.
The 30-year-old actor stars as the antagonist in the upcoming Marvel movie – which is set to hit cinema screens in February – and has said that whilst he had "a lot of fun on set" with his co-star Chadwick Boseman, who stars as the titular superhero, he admits the role was tough to prepare for.
He said: "It took me to a dark place. Honestly, I can’t really go through all I went through to get into it because I want to keep that close to me. But it stuck with me afterwards … Chadwick’s a very talented dude. There’s a lot of physical moments and action sequences throughout this film that cause us to really challenge ourselves, and also fall deeper into character."
The production – which was directed by Ryan Coogler – has been praised for its predominately black cast including Forest Whittaker, Lupita Nyong’o, and Danai Gurira, and Michael believes "everybody" can relate to the film in some way.
Speaking to Empire magazine, he said: "It’s an all-black cast for the most part and it’s set in Africa, but it’s universal in so many ways to everybody around the world, so I feel like it’s something that everybody can take something from."
Michael’s comments come after 34-year-old Lupita – who stars as Nakia in the movie – said she felt "challenged" by her role, and praised director Ryan for avoiding the "expected female-rival narrative" within the feature.
She said: "Ryan made a point of avoiding the expected female-rival narrative. In this genre, where spandex is involved, oftentimes the women are pitted against each other. In our story, there are so many different women holding their own space. Women may be in competition with each other, sure, but that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s an absence of love or respect. Shuri [Letitia Wright] is the sister to the Black Panther [Chadwick Boseman] and the leader of technological pursuits and Nakia is someone who has a complicated history with the Black Panther and is a warrior in her own right. You see them work together, and you see a dynamic that is really encouraging. Making this film awakened me. I walked away from this experience feeling extremely supported and I felt challenged."
Michael B. Jordan in a ‘dark place’ with Black Panther role
