Michael B. Jordan's hottest roles: Look back at PEOPLE's new Sexiest Man Alive's sexy past
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
In honor of PEOPLE naming Michael B. Jordan this year's Sexiest Man Alive (a very well-deserved title), it's the perfect excuse to go back and reminisce on all of his hottest roles, from a chiseled boxer to a Marvel supervillain so charismatic we were rooting for the bad guy to win. So grab a glass of water if you're feeling extra thirsty and let's take a walk down memory lane to see why Jordan really is the best candidate for Sexiest Man Alive.
Vince Howard, Friday Night Lights
While Jordan's first major role was on The Wire as a teenage drug dealer, he was pretty young back then. He didn't actually achieve full hunk status until his time on Friday Night Lights playing quarterback Vince Howard. He was a champion on the field, sure, but it was his sweet and emotional romantic arc with Jess (Jurnee Smollett) that really proved how Jordan was a true leading man.
Bill Records/NBC
Alex, Parenthood
On Parenthood, Jordan's turn as Haddie's (Sarah Ramos) boyfriend solidified his status as the Internet's favorite boyfriend. His character managed a local soup kitchen! Does it get any better than that?
Byron Cohen/NBC
Oscar Grant, Fruitvale Station
Yes, it does, as evidenced by how much he made us cry in Fruitvale Station portraying the true story of Oscar Grant’s controversial and tragic death at the hands of police officers. Watching Jordan play Oscar in the 24 hours leading up to his death will break your heart over and over again, but the actor's charisma will make you swoon. It also marks his first collaboration with Creed and Black Panther director Ryan Coogler.
Mikey, That Awkward Moment
In lighter fare, Jordan took a walk down the rom-com road as one of the three main characters of That Awkward Moment alongside Zac Efron and Miles Teller. Only Jordan could make someone like Efron look like just a normal person, because his role as hot young doctor Mikey is the most crushworthy guy of the whole trio, hands down.
Johnny Storm, Fantastic Four
So Fantastic Four was ... really bad. But Jordan was literally on fire as Johnny Storm so we couldn't not include it on this list of his, ahem, hottest roles. (Sorry.)
Adonis Johnson, Creed and Creed 2
Adonis is right. Is there anyone else worthy enough to play Apollo Creed's son? No, Jordan was born for this role. Bonus: He also posed for some stunning photos alongside Tessa Thompson for an EW cover shoot to promote the sequel.
Erik Killmonger, Black Panther
In Marvel films, you usually root for the superheroes to win against the villains. But there is nothing usual about Jordan as Erik Killmonger in Black Panther. He did the impossible and made you root for the supervillain due to his sheer passion — okay, and total hotness. Talk about impressive.
©Marvel Studios 2018
Guy Montag, Fahrenheit 451
Another hot role in the literal sense. Jordan sets things ablaze — mostly books — in Fahrenheit 451 when he brought Ray Bradbury's iconic novel to life for HBO. Sure, his character Guy starts out as a "fireman" who burns books to serve a totalitarian dictatorship. But he soon begins to question his own reality, and what's hotter than breaking free from thought suppression to help save society?
Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy
Jokes about Jordan's hotness aside, it's also his heart that makes him the Sexiest Man Alive. His recent starring role in the biopic Just Mercy, playing altruistic defense attorney Bryan Stevenson, brought a much-needed spotlight to a real-life hero's life's work.
Watch the full episode of Sexiest Man Alive: Michael B. Jordan on PeopleTV.com, or download the PeopleTV app on your favorite device.
Related content:
