Michael B. Jordan And Ryan Coogler's Impressive Filmography As Actor-Director Duo

Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler are both nominated for Oscars for Sinners, their latest team-up that further proves they have become one of Hollywood's best actor-director duos. Sinners was a major critical and box office success, earning a 97% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, and grossing over $369.1 million worldwide.

Following its impressive theatrical run, the film is now earning accolades during this award season. At the 2026 Actor Awards. Michael B. Jordan won the award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, and the cast of Sinners won Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

The Actor Awards added momentum to Sinners for the 2026 Oscars, especially since the film has 16 nominations. Even if Coogler and Jordan don't win any Oscars, the film is still another successful collaboration from this duo, who have been working together since 2013.

Michael B. Jordan And Ryan Coogler Haven't Made A Bad Movie Together

Coogler has directed five movies so far in his career, each starring Jordan. His films have all earned an RT critic score of 84% or higher, an impressive achievement that proves his strength as a director. The first collaboration between Coogler and Jordan was 2013's Fruitvale Station.

Fruitvale Station was based on the true story of Oscar Grant, a man who was killed by police in San Francisco in 2009. The film was Coogler's feature directorial debut, and currently holds a 94% on RT. It was a breakout movie for Coogler and Jordan, who both went on to make and star in more high-profile projects.

Following their 2013 team-up, Jordan played Adonis Creed, son of Apollo Creed, in Coogler's Creed. Not only was the film a commercial and critical hit, but it revitalized the Rocky franchise, leading to a new trilogy. After that, Coogler directed Black Panther and the 2022 sequel, Wakanda Forever.

Black Panther is the only MCU movie to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, and it earned over $1 billion worldwide. While Wakanda Forever didn't perform as well, it still was a critical and box office success. Jordan delivered a memorable performance as Killmonger in these films, even with his one scene in the sequel.

With Sinners, Jordan and Coogler continued their hot streak, producing another film that was a box office hit and well-received by critics. It earned the highest RT critic score of their films together, and its originality makes it arguably their most special collaboration.

Sinners May Be Their Most Impressive Film So Far

Sinners is the first collaboration between Jordan and Coogler that isn't based on a true story or an existing franchise. Yes, vampires are not a new concept, but how the film portrays them and how it uses them as a metaphor for cultural appropriation is unique.

It has an original story, and a distinct style, merging together multiple genres and using an incredible soundtrack. In terms of its success, Sinners set box office records for an original horror film, at a time when it was challenging for original films to perform well commercially.

It also received the most Academy Award nominations ever, and is in a good position to win several, especially after The Actor Awards. Sinners had a huge impact on pop culture in 2025, and is an amazing success story for original films.

Release Date April 18, 2025

Runtime 138 minutes

Director Ryan Coogler

Writers Ryan Coogler

Producers Sev Ohanian, Zinzi Coogler, Ryan Coogler