Michael B. Jordan has built a successful career as an actor, director and producer, but his longtime passion for anime could eventually lead him in a completely different creative direction.
In Vogue’s October cover story, Jordan revealed that he currently has several anime projects in the early stages of development. His enthusiasm for the medium is so strong that he joked about potentially walking away from his Hollywood career to focus entirely on animation.
"I might just quit it all and make anime the rest of my life," Jordan said.
While the comment was made jokingly, Jordan’s interest in anime is far from new. The Newark, New Jersey, native grew up watching anime, particularly Dragon Ball Z, and the influence has remained with him throughout his career.
According to the Vogue profile, Jordan was so invested in Dragon Ball Z as a child that he would sometimes sneak into the basement of his church to watch episodes. That early fascination eventually developed into a creative interest that began appearing in his professional work.
One of the clearest examples came in 2019, when Jordan collaborated with Coach on his first fashion design project. The collection was inspired by Naruto and featured clothing, footwear and bags incorporating characters, imagery and symbols from the popular Japanese anime franchise.
His passion for the medium later moved from fashion into filmmaking. Jordan drew directly from anime for his 2023 directorial debut, Creed III, particularly during the movie’s climactic boxing sequence.
The final fight featured visual and storytelling elements influenced by the style of anime, giving Jordan an opportunity to bring something he had admired since childhood into a major Hollywood production.
Jordan also worked with Japanese animation studio TMS Entertainment on an anime short connected to Creed III. The project was screened in Japanese theaters following showings of the film, further expanding his involvement with the medium beyond simply taking inspiration from it.
His interest in animation continued this year when he voiced Ollie in Netflix’s animated film Swapped, giving him another opportunity to work within the animation space.
Now, Jordan appears to be looking at anime as more than just an influence on his existing projects. His comments suggest that he is interested in developing original projects within the medium, although details about the anime projects currently in development have not been revealed.
That does not mean Jordan is preparing to leave Hollywood anytime soon. The actor has a busy schedule ahead, with several major projects already lined up across acting, directing and producing.
Jordan is directing, producing and starring in a new adaptation of The Thomas Crown Affair alongside Adria Arjona and Kenneth Branagh. The film is scheduled for release next spring and will add another major directing project to his growing resume.
He is also expected to begin filming a Miami Vice reboot with Austin Butler this fall. In addition, Jordan is producing Delphi, a Creed spinoff series centered around a boxing gym and set within the world of the franchise he helped expand as both a star and filmmaker.
His growing interest in anime comes shortly after another major milestone in his career. Jordan won the Best Actor Oscar for his dual performance as twins Smoke and Stack in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners.
The film became a major success, earning 16 Academy Award nominations and winning four Oscars. It also surpassed $370 million at the global box office, adding another major achievement to Jordan’s career.
For now, anime appears to be another creative avenue for Jordan rather than a replacement for acting. But with multiple projects reportedly already in development and a passion for the medium that dates back to his childhood, his joke about making anime for the rest of his life may not be as far-fetched as it sounds.
