Key Takeaways
- Michael B. Jordan told Vogue he has several anime projects in early development and joked, “I might just quit it all and make anime the rest of my life.”
- A longtime fan who grew up watching Dragon Ball Z, Jordan brought anime influences into Creed III and collaborated with TMS Entertainment on a companion short.
- Despite the joke, the Oscar winner remains booked with The Thomas Crown Affair, a Miami Vice reboot, and the Creed spinoff series Delphi.
Michael B. Jordan has plenty of Hollywood projects on his plate, but the newly minted Oscar winner is entertaining the idea of eventually leaving it all behind for anime.
In Vogue's October cover story, Jordan revealed that he has several anime projects in the early stages of development. His interest in the medium runs deep enough that he joked it could become his full-time focus.
"I might just quit it all and make anime the rest of my life," Jordan said.
Anime has been a longtime passion for the Newark, New Jersey, native. According to the story, Jordan grew up watching Dragon Ball Z, sometimes sneaking into the basement of his church to catch episodes.
That fandom has increasingly crossed over into his work. In 2019, Jordan teamed with Coach for his first fashion design collaboration, creating a Naruto-inspired capsule collection. The unisex line featured clothing, footwear, and bags incorporating imagery and symbols from the popular anime series.
Jordan later brought those influences directly to the big screen with his 2023 directorial debut, Creed III. The film's climactic fight incorporated inspiration from anime.
He also worked with Japanese animation studio TMS Entertainment on an anime short that screened after Creed III in Japanese theaters. Earlier this year, Jordan continued exploring animation by voicing Ollie in Netflix's Swapped.
Despite his joke about leaving acting behind, Jordan's upcoming schedule suggests he isn't disappearing from movie screens anytime soon.
He's directing, producing and starring in a new adaptation of The Thomas Crown Affair alongside Adria Arjona and Kenneth Branagh, with the film slated for next spring. Jordan is also set to begin shooting a Miami Vice reboot with Austin Butler this fall and is producing Delphi, a Creed spinoff series centered around a boxing gym.
Jordan's anime comments come months after he won the Best Actor Oscar for playing twins Smoke and Stack in Ryan Coogler's Sinners. The film earned 16 Academy Award nominations and took home four trophies after grossing more than $370 million worldwide.
