(AllHipHop News) Michael B. Jordan earned acclaim for his performance in Black Panther. His portrayal of Erik “Killmonger” Stevens sparked numerous think pieces about the character’s motivations.
Jordan has talked about how people such as Huey P. Newton, Fred Hampton, Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, and Tupac Shakur inspired his Killmonger. Activists and emcees clearly influenced the film, but it appears sneaker culture was instrumental in bringing the U.S. black-ops soldier to life as well.
In the latest episode of Complex’s Sneaker Shopping, the 31-year-old actor mentioned director Ryan Coogler’s deliberate intention to connect with sneakerheads. Jordan said, “Coog is always trying to find little things here and there that the generation and the Millennials are going to pick up on. So we definitely tried to drop some gems here and there that people would definitely notice.”
Black Panther has already achieved blockbuster success at the box office. Marvel’s T’Challa-centered movie made $202 million over its first three days, putting it in fifth place among the highest domestic opening weekends of all time.