Michael B. Jordan Opens Up About His Journey Through Therapy After Playing the Villain in 'Black Panther'**
In a recent interview on CBS Sunday Morning, the star of "Sinners" spoke candidly about the impact of fully immersing himself in his role as Erik Killmonger in Ryan Coogler's Marvel film, 'Black Panther.'
"After the movie, it kind of stuck with me for a bit," he shared. "I went to therapy, talked about it, and found a way to decompress. I was still learning that I needed to decompress from a character. There's no blueprint for this."
Jordan continued, "Acting is often a solo journey. You audition by yourself, practice by yourself. There's a lot of preparation, experience, and journey involved. As I went along, I realized that I still had something left on me that needed to be released." He emphasized the importance of talking things through.
While preparing for the role, the "Creed" actor admitted to spending many moments "isolated" and "not really speaking" much with his family to maintain focus. "Erik didn't really know a lot of love," Jordan said. "He had a lot of betrayal and failed systems around him that shaped his anger and frustration. Looking at history and how it seemed to always repeat itself, he wondered how he would break that cycle."
'Black Panther,' which won three Oscars, follows T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman), the heir to the hidden but advanced kingdom of Wakanda, who must step forward to lead his people into a new future and confront a challenger from his country's past. The film grossed $1.349 billion worldwide, leading to its sequel, 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,' in 2022.
