Michael B. Jordan is opening up about how the death of Chadwick Boseman affected him.
Speaking with Tracy Smith on CBS Sunday Morning, Jordan addressed comments previously made by director Ryan Coogler, who said Boseman’s passing deeply affected the entire Black Panther family and may have hit Jordan the hardest.
“I mean, I don’t know… yeah,” Jordan said thoughtfully when asked about Coogler’s remarks. “Chad’s a very special person. I just wish I had more time with him. I think that’s the hurtful thing.”
Boseman died in 2020 at age 43 after a private battle with colon cancer, a diagnosis he kept largely out of the public eye while continuing to work. For Jordan, who starred opposite Boseman as Erik Killmonger in Black Panther, the loss left a void that still lingers.
When Smith asked whether Jordan still finds himself talking to Boseman, even without being able to say things “in the flesh,” the actor answered without hesitation.
“Yeah. Yeah, definitely,” Jordan said. “He’s in a place of higher understanding now. He knows my heart. He understands. And I do speak to him.”
Jordan also shared how Boseman’s discipline and presence on set continue to influence his work today. While filming Sinners, Jordan recalled struggling early in production with maintaining a Southern accent throughout long shooting days. It was then that Boseman’s example came to mind.
“When Chadwick was playing T’Challa, he never broke,” Jordan said. “Always kept his accent, at home, on set, everywhere. He always had it.”
Jordan explained that Coogler, knowing exactly what his actor needed in the moment, posed a simple but powerful question: What would Chadwick do in this situation?
“That was it,” Jordan said. “There was nothing else that needed to be said after that. It really helped me lock in.”
The moment underscored how Boseman’s influence extends far beyond his performances, serving as a quiet but enduring standard for professionalism, commitment, and purpose.
Though Jordan acknowledges the pain of not having more time with his friend, his reflections reveal that Boseman’s guidance didn’t end with his passing.
