Ryan Coogler says Michael B. Jordan's charisma almost broke Killmonger - fans still want him back alongside Thanos and Hela
You might think Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger was a gift, but Ryan Coogler says the character actually created a surprising problem on Black Panther.
There are plenty of reasons why Killmonger stands out as one of the more memorable Marvel villains, but here’s one you might not have considered: he was almost too charming for his own good. And apparently, even Ryan Coogler – the man behind Black Panther – was worried about that from the very start.
One Charismatic Villain
In a recent chat with Vogue, Coogler talked about his ongoing partnership with Michael B. Jordan and let slip that he kept a very close eye on just how magnetic Jordan is on screen. Apparently, this was a slight headache when they were crafting Killmonger. Coogler had to balance the audience’s inevitable likeability bias against someone who is, at the end of the day, meant to be the antagonist. Here’s how Coogler described that problem:
We’ve got to believe that he can take down all of Wakanda, that he’s capable of harming our heroes. That’s even harder to do when you have that charisma.
It’s true – with a villain that compelling, you risk the hero coming off a tad bland by comparison. And try as you might, it’s difficult to paint someone as irredeemable when their grievances with the world actually make quite a bit of sense.
Why Killmonger Made Things Complicated in Wakanda
For anyone who needs a refresher: Killmonger is T’Challa’s long-lost cousin, a character who comes into Wakanda with a real chip on his shoulder – and frankly, every right to have it. Brought up outside of the utopian bubble, he experienced an entirely different reality from the nation’s royal family, and his plan to weaponise Wakanda’s resources was driven by a deep-seated anger. Objectively, his methods were monstrous, but underneath it all, his motivations weren’t plucked out of thin air. Even T’Challa (played by Chadwick Boseman) ended up re-examining Wakanda’s isolationist stance because of Killmonger’s challenge.
- Killmonger is consistently ranked by Marvel fans as one of the villains they want to see back in the MCU – he’s in heavyweight company alongside the likes of Thanos and Hela.
Fans continue to push for a return of Killmonger to future Marvel projects.
It’s all part of why the film dodged the typical superhero ‘good versus evil’ formula and delivered something much meatier. But shaping a villain that audiences simultaneously fear, understand, and – let’s be honest – sort of root for, is no small task. Coogler and Jordan walked the tightrope, and that’s a big reason Black Panther still gets talked about as one of Marvel’s best.